List of Australian and New Zealand advertising characters
Encyclopedia
Many advertisements shown on New Zealand television are made in Australia, and many Australian and New Zealand companies operate similar businesses on both sides of the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
. As such, there is consideable overlap in advertising characters and mascots found in the two countries.
The following is a list of notable mascots and characters created specifically for advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
purposes in Australia and New Zealand, listed alphabetically by the product
Product (business)
In general, the product is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort" or the "result of an act or a process", and stems from the verb produce, from the Latin prōdūce ' lead or bring forth'. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced...
they represent.
| Product | Character | Years used | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASB Bank ASB Bank ASB is a New Zealand bank owned by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. It is one of the largest New Zealand banks, with branches throughout the country. It operates BankDirect, a branchless banking service that provides service via phone, Internet,... (NZ) |
Ira Goldstein Ira Goldstein Ira Goldstein is a fictional character played by Stephen Mellor, who appears in television and radio commercials for ASB Bank in New Zealand. The commercials were screened from January 2000 to October 2010 and were produced by TBWA / Whybin agency.... |
2000-2010 | |
| Bundaberg Rum Bundaberg Rum Bundaberg Rum is a dark rum produced in Bundaberg, Australia, often referred to as "Bundy".The Bundaberg Distilling Company owns its own cola-producing facility, which supplies the cola for its ready-to-drink Bundaberg Rum and Cola products.-History:... (Aus) |
Bundy Bear | 1980s on radio | |
| Campbell's Cash & Carry supermarkets (Aus) | Delilah | 1980s-1990s | |
| Chesdale Cheese Chesdale Cheese Chesdale Cheese was a variety of cheese produced for the mass market in New Zealand. Chiefly remembered for its very memorable animated television advertising with the jingle sung by two cartoon characters Ches and Dale wearing gumboots and black singlets. The commercial was created by Art Director... (NZ) |
Ches and Dale | 1960s-1980s | |
| Colgate Colgate (toothpaste) Colgate is an oral hygiene product line of toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes and dental floss.-Duraphat:Duraphat is a professional strength paste intended for the treatment and prevention of dental caries.... Toothpaste (Aus & NZ) |
Mrs Marsh | 1970s-1980s | |
| Cookie Time Cookie Time Cookie Time Ltd is a New Zealand company based in Christchurch, which has been manufacturing snack foods since 1983. It is fronted by a mascot known as the Cookie Muncher... Cookies (NZ) |
Cookie Muncher | at least the 1980s - present | |
| Creamoata (cereal, NZ) | Sergeant Dan | 1920s-1950s | |
| Eta ETA ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country... margarine & peanut butter (Aus) |
Rita the Eta Eater | 1970s-1980s | |
| Eta peanut butter (NZ) | Eta Nut 1001 | 1960s-1980s | |
| Expol Insulation (NZ) | Polly the Penguin | 2000s | |
| Four Square (grocery stores, NZ) | Mr. Four Square | since at least the 1960s | |
| Frosty Boy ice cream Ice cream Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners... (Aus & NZ) |
Frosty Boy | since at least the 1960s | |
| Griffins biscuits (NZ) | Cookie Bear Cookie Bear (New Zealand) Cookie Bear, otherwise known as CB, is a familiar character in New Zealand originally associated with Hudsons and now Griffins biscuits. Cookie Bear's popularity grew with New Zealand children through the Cookie Bear Club, their shared love of Chocolate Chippies and his famous catchphrase... |
since at least the 1970s | |
| Home Hardware (Aus) | Rusty and Sandy | 1993-present | |
| Instant Kiwi (lottery scratch card, NZ) | Doug and Mexi-Doug | 2008-present | |
| Life. Be in it. Life. Be in it. Life. Be in it. started as an Australian government program and advertising campaign encouraging people to be more active and participate in recreational sports or other physical activities.... (health campaign, Aus) |
Norm | 1975 | Also aired in the United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works (Aus) | Wally | 1980s | |
| Mitre 10 Mega stores (NZ) | The Big Guy | 2004-present | |
| Mortein Mortein Mortein is an Australian brand of household insecticide. Together with its sister product Aerogard, a popular insect repellent, Mortein has become something of a household name in Australia, owing much in this regard to its cartoon antagonist, Louie the Fly. Louie was drawn and animated by Geoffry... (insect spray, Aus) |
Louie the Fly | 1957-present | also in New Zealand since the 1980s |
| Nestlé Nestlé Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri... Milky Bar chocolate (Aus & NZ) |
The Milky Bar Kid | 1969-1990s | "Live action" until 1980s, animated in 1990s |
| Nine Network Australia | The Smiling Dot | 1975 | Used during the "Living Color" campaign |
| NRMA insurance NRMA NRMA refers to either of two historically related Australian companies:*The National Roads and Motorists' Association, known as NRMA Motoring and Services, is a member-owned mutual organisation offering , motoring advice and other services in New South Wales and the Australian Capital... (Aus) |
Wallace Fairweather | Mid-1990s | Radio in NSW & Victoria |
| Palmolive dishwashing liquid Detergent A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water... (Aus & NZ) |
Madge | 1971-1980s | Australian version based on US commercials, with Robina Beard playing Jan Miner Jan Miner Jan Miner was an American actress best known for her iconic role as the manicurist Madge in a 27-year series of television commercials for Palmolive dish-washing detergent.... 's role |
| Pizza Hut Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread.... delivery (Aus) |
Dougie the Pizza Delivery Boy | 1994-1997, 2002-present | |
| SKY Network Television SKY Network Television Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers... (NZ) |
Bert Badger | 2000s | |
| Slip-Slop-Slap Slip-Slop-Slap Slip-Slop-Slap and wrap is the iconic and internationally recognised sun protection campaign prominent in Australia during the 1980s. Launched by Cancer Council Victoria in 1980, the Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign features a singing, dancing Sid Seagull encouraging people to reduce sun exposure and... (health campaign, Aus) |
Sid the Seagull | Debuted 1981 | |
| Smith's The Smith's Snackfood Company The Smith's Snackfood Company is a company best known for producing and selling a range of snack food such as crisps. It is now owned by New York based company PepsiCo.-Smiths in the UK:... Chips (Aus) |
Gobbledok Gobbledok The Gobbledok is a fictional advertising character in Australia from the late 1980s to mid 1990s. It has re-emerged in a new marketing campaign in May 2010. It is a pale brownish alien with an obsession for eating Smith's Potato Crisps. The Gobbledok subsisted on Smith's chips because they reminded... |
late 1980s-early 1990s | |
| Super Cheap Auto (Aus) | Steve Lenda | 2003-present | Also used in NZ |
| Telecom New Zealand Telecom New Zealand Telecom New Zealand is a New Zealand-wide communications service provider , providing fixed line telephone services, a mobile network, an internet service provider , a major ICT provider to NZ businesses , and a wholesale network infrastructure provider to other NZ CSPs... |
Spot | 1990s | |
| Television New Zealand Television New Zealand Television New Zealand, more commonly referred to, and stylized as TVNZ, is a government-owned corporation television network broadcasting in New Zealand and parts of the Pacific. It operates TV1, TV2, TVNZ7, TVNZ Heartland, TVNZ U and new media services.... |
The Goodnight Kiwi Goodnight Kiwi The Goodnight Kiwi, later also called TV Kiwi, is a character in an animated short which has been used to signal the end of nightly broadcasts on Television New Zealand channels. The animation was introduced in 1975 on TV2, and used on South Pacific Television between 1976 and 1980. Between 1980... |
1981-1994 | |
| The Comedy Channel The Comedy Channel The Comedy Channel is an Australian subscription television channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:... (Aus) |
C'fer | c.1996-2003 | |
| Tiger Tea (NZ) | Tony the Tiger | 1950s-1970s | |
| Tip Top ice cream (NZ) | Moggy Man | 1960s | |
| Toyota Masterclass cars (NZ) | Ernie | c.2002-2007 | |
| Toyworld (Toy retailers) (Aus & NZ) | TW, The Toyworld Bear | since at least the 1980s | Last spotted at the Toyworld 40th birthday gala |
| Tuckerbag supermarkets (Aus) | Tucker Bag | 1980s | |
| www.sorted.org.nz (NZ) | Sorted Mouse | 2001-present | |
| Yellow Pages Yellow Pages Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings... (Aus) |
Jan | 2000-present | "Not happy, Jan! Not happy, Jan! Not happy, Jan! was a line delivered by actress Deborah Kennedy in an Australian television advertisement from the year 2000. Due to the ad's popularity in Australia, the line entered the cultural vernacular as a catch phrase used to express displeasure.... " led to 'Not happy John!' campaign 'Not happy John!' campaign The Not happy,h John!' campaign was an Australian political campaign to oppose the re-election of Prime Minister John Howard as member for Bennelong in the Australian federal election, 2004... |