The 25 Coolest Snack Mascots of All Time

Image via Complex Original

Brand Represented: Frito's
Year Introduced: 1967

Though his reign as the Frito's mascot was short lived, Frito Bandito and his politically incorrectness did exist. Thinking it would be a good idea to design a marketing campaign based on American stereotypes of Mexicans, Bandito started out with a gold tooth and broken English, but had a more refined look after justified complaints. We're giving Frito Bandito props for coming on the scene and exposing ethnic prejudice, but he had to go. Too bad he didn't take Aunt Jemima with him.

Brand Represented: 7-Up
Year Introduced: Late 1980s

As simple as he was, the 7-Up mascot served his purpose. Much like the no-fuss drink he represented, he was simple and straightforward. But don't knock the hustle— he made his way from commercials to Sega Genesis video games in the early 90s. Only a savvy mascot would get into the multiple streams of income lane.

Brand Represented: Smacks Cereal
Year Introduced: 1972

Of course we needed a mascot from the hood with a snap-back cap twisted to the side, swagger in his step, and a propensity for high-fives. The Ebonics appropriating frog, though a low key sign of racism, sure knew his cereal. Sugar Smacks, Honey Smacks, or whatever they're called these days will always be a breakfast favorite, but Dig 'Em needs a new moniker. No one "digs" anything anymore. Keep up, frog.

Brand Represented: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Year Introduced: 2000

A "Rock N' Roni" predatory dinosaur with a cheesy name (pun intended) is the chosen representative for the mac n' cheese in the blue box. Frankly, his name doesn't suit his rock star status, but that's your fault. Kraft gave kids the opportunity to name this mascot when he made his debut and "Cheesasaurus Rex" was the best a nation full of imaginative kids came up with? We have to do better, America. After all Kraft Mac & Cheese has done for you during those hungry and broke college nights? Let's do right by this guy and propose an official name change.

Brand Represented: Chip's Ahoy Cookies
Year Introduced: 2002

Their time on our television screens was short lived, but they entertained us while they were here. These claymation mascots were just out here trying to enjoy their chocolate-filled lives, but humans, being the savages for sweet that we are, just wouldn't let them be great. After just eight years in commercials, the Cookie Guys were taken off the air, but as a testament to their greatness, Chips Ahoy didn't replace them with another mascot. Gone, but never forgotten.

Brand Represented: Lucky Charms
Year Introduced: 1963

Not to be confused with the not nearly as adorable mascot of the Boston Celtics who bears the same name, Lucky the Leprechaun of the "magically delicious" Lucky Charms always started off extremely greedy in his commercials. He'd run at the sight of kids like they were trying to stick him up. We can't blame him. We were all greedy when it came to our Lucky Charms.

Brand Represented: Cap'n Crunch Cereal
Year Introduced: 1963

His name is Horatio, but you can call him Cap'n. Even if he was just an animated version of the Quaker Oats guy, he was pretty cool. Not only was he on about ten different varieties of the cereal, but there were always toys or some sort of prize in those boxes. Unlike other mascots that were stingy with their goods, Cap'n Crunch was always leading us to the treasure.

Brand Represented: Cheetos
Year Introduced: 1986

Epitomizing the true essence of a "cool cat", Chester Cheetah, or "Papa Chester" is the hippest mascot to grace a bag of chips. He taught us how to be cool and only lost his composure when those finger-staining cornmeal puffs were in sight. Chester will do anything for a bag of Cheetos and we'd be fronting if we said we didn't feel the same exact way.

Brand Represented: Keebler Snacks
Year Introduced: 1970

The old head in "The Hollow Tree Factory", Ernie J. Keebler leads the pack of bakers that whip up your favorite Rainbow Deluxe chocolate chip cookies, chocolate-covered grasshopper cookies, and those Fudge Shoppe fudge swirl treats. Mr. Keebler does amazing work in that little bakery of his and although we know he has a whole Keebler elf crew behind him, he's the boss, so he gets the props.

Brand Represented: Vlasic Pickles
Year Introduced: 1974

Capitalizing on the fact that pregnant women have unusually frequent cravings for pickles, Vlasic decided that a stork would be its spokes-animal. You know, because storks deliver babies and a pregnant woman is really checking for baby-related mascots when she's hungry and a baby is playing soccer in her uterus. Yeah, totally makes sense. We kid, but the stork doesn't look like he's going anywhere and he's sold plenty of pickles over the decades, so he must be onto something.

Brand Represented: Chef Boyardee Canned Foods
Year Introduced: 1928

Meats, cheese, and pasta sound like a gross combination when you're expected to eat it out of a can, but if the face on the can is one you know and trust, it's all good. Chef Boyardee wasn't a figment of some cartoonist's creative mind; he was an actual chef. Ettore Boiardi is the man behind the brand and wanting the world to remember his name, he smiled for the camera and became his own brand's mascot. He was a man after Tyler Perry's own heart.

Brand Represented: Chiquita Banana
Year Introduced: 1944

Though the mascot world seems to have always been dominated by masculine characters, Miss Chiquita, aka "The First Lady of Fruit," changed the game when she showed up on the scene. After about forty years she morphed into a woman from a banana because sex sells and the use of bananas in condom application demos wasn't sexual enough. Also, bananas with legs just didn't sit right.

Brand Represented: California Raisins
Year Introduced: 1986

There aren't any other mascots who have as much soul as The California Raisins. They were dried up grapes singing Marvin Gaye, hitting harmonies, and pulling slick dance moves. They even got a feature from the late Ray Charles in one of their commercials. Beat that, Sun-Maid girl!

Brand Represented: Nesquik
Year Introduced: 1973

Unlike his strawberry milk touting predecessor, Quiky is a bunny of the people. He's just trying to make folks happy, one sip of "chocolately goodness" at a time. With a huge blue "N" emblazoned on his chest as to not be confused with other famous bunnies, he's the super-mascot of product placement. Though he's partial to chocolate, he still pushes other flavors on occasion Someone has to cover for that retired pink "Quik Bunny."

Brand Represented: Hawaiian Punch
Year Introduced: 1962

He smiled in your face, offered you some punch, then knocked the shit out of you, and somehow his slogan, "Let's Have a Party," was supposed to make sense. Folks were also supposed to turn a blind eye to those antler-like tentacles springing out of his head perpetratin' as a cool hairstyle. Considering the violence and questionable coiffure choices, it's evident that his drink was spiked (at the very least). He's since undergone anger management and/or substance abuse counseling, so the KO-free parties can commence.

Brand Represented: Tootsie Pops
Year Introduced: 1970

Mr. Owl was a wise ass, but what more did you expect from a nocturnal bird with spectacles and a graduation cap on? He was perched on a tree, minding his own business, when a little kid put a lollipop in his face; his sarcastic response was warranted. Though we know it takes way more than three licks to get to the center of a Tootsie pop, we thank Mr. Owl for showing us the short cut, and we'll forever be grateful for his pause-worthy slogan.

Brand Represented: Hamburger Helper
Year Introduced: 1971

Throw some beef on that dish and all of a sudden you're the best chef to have ever done it. You forgot that you had help, but it's cool, Helping Hand didn't need any credit as long as you were happy and fed. In retrospect, we should have questioned why a severed, four-fingered hand was helping us cook. Forget the inquiries—just shut up and enjoy this fine pasta and cheese meal.

Brand Represented: Pringles
Year Introduced: 1968

You had respect for the dude, so you always called him "Mr. Pringles," but Julius was just there to serve you with a less greasy and highly addictive potato chip alternative. The familiar face that has been plastered on cylindrical cardboard canisters for decades has gone through some changes (where are dude's eyebrows?) but you'll always recognize that signature mustache. Hair loss aside, since we popped way back in elementary school, the fun has yet to stop.

Brand Represented: Trix Cereal
Year Introduced: 1959

No other mascot pulled at your heart strings like the Trix Rabbit. After all of his incessant trickery, he could never catch a break and get a bowl of his namesake cereal. This was probably a good thing because Trix was obviously a fiend whose relentless pursuits of the cereal were attempts to get his fix. Because people didn't want to see this rabbit go through withdrawals, there were a few times when he was granted a bowl of his beloved treat.

Leave it to the kids, Trix, and go get the help you need.

Brand Represented: Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
Year Introduced: 1951

Tony the Tiger never roared at us. He wasn't that kind of feline. He was a mentor of sorts. Tony helped us start the day with delicious nourishment that was more than good; it was "Grrrrrrrreat!" even by mom's standards. By the time we excused ourselves from the breakfast table, the Frosted Flakes he endorsed brought out the tiger in us all. We were a beast in the classroom all day.

Brand Represented: Rice Krispies
Year Introduced: 1933

According to their almost 90-year old-uniforms, "Snap!" is the baker, "Pop!" leads a marching band, and "Crackle!" is the unemployed middle brother. Why did they have to play "Crackle!" like that?

This trio is internationally known and revered for bringing us the cereal that is the main ingredient for those marshmallow treats we were really after. Six decades ago, the brand tried to give their brother "Pow!" his fifteen minutes of fame, but he was yapping about nutritional value, and nobody was trying to hear that.

Brand Represented: Planters
Year Introduced: 1916

The fanciest, most bourgeois of all the mascots, Mr. Peanut, or Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe, has always been too good for you. He looked friendly and welcoming enough, but his cane, top hat, and monocle were blatant symbols of the sophistication he exuded that you could never obtain. Dude was so smooth that he didn't even have to speak in commercials until 2010. That's 94 years of stuntin' in silence. Recognize a real G when you see one.

Brand Represented: Kool-Aid
Year Introduced: 1975

He always comes when you call. Bursting through the function, breaking down walls, and bringing people together; a party ain't a party until the Kool-Aid Man rolls through and destroys your sheetrock. So what if he delivers a pitcher of red 40 infused sugar water that is sure to stain your lips for a good five hours? You'll love him for it. If you're smart, you learned to only drink the stuff if it's personally brought to you by Kool-Aid Man; otherwise, it couldn't be trusted.

Brand Represented: Pillsbury
Year Introduced: 1962

He's so near and dear we don't even call him by his government name, Poppin' Fresh. The freakishly awkward giggle he lets out after being tickled by humans warms the coldest hearts. The Pillsbury Doughboy is undoubtedly the most adorable mascot to ever grace a package, and even the most impenetrable consumer would have to gove props to how many times he's been name-checked in rap songs. A mascot who gets a shout out on a hip hop track isn't going anywhere.

Brand Represented: M&M's
Year Introduced: 1995

All representing a different flavor set, and each with their own distinct personalities, the M&M "spokescandies" form a crew that is almost as respected as your favorite rap group. The main thing they have on other cliques are the alleged aphrodisiac, Ms. Green, and the not to be upstaged, Ms. Brown, who joined in 2012. The six member deep squad is lead by Red and Yellow, the Hov and Yeezy of the candy world. Ain't nobody fuckin' with this clique.