Twentieth Century Commercial Characters Quiz

Answer: Charmin

Mr. Whipple was the beleaguered grocer whose customers just would NOT quit squeezing the Charmin toilet paper. He was played by Canadian actor Dick Wilson for 21 years.

Answer: Palmolive dish detergent

Madge was a chatty manicurist who startled her clients by informing them that they were soaking their fingertips in dish soap (horrors)! She was played by Jan Miner in both print and television ads in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Answer: Pancake mix

The Aunt Jemima brand (pancake mix and syrup) dates back to the late 1800s. One of the earliest African-American corporate models, Nancy Green, a former slave, became the symbol of the brand in 1890 and served in that capacity until her death in 1923.

Answer: Alka-Seltzer

Speedy Alka-Seltzer was originally named Sparky, but his name was soon changed to match the company's claim that their product provided quick relief. He appeared in women's magazine as early as 1952, but became a famous symbol when he hit the small screen.

The Speedy character appeared in over 200 commercials from 1953 to 1964, and was reintroduced in 1978, associated with such memorable jingles like, "Relief is just a swallow away", and "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is".

Answer: Borden Dairy

Elsie became the "spokescow" for the Borden company in the early 1930s. She was widely accepted by the public. Interestingly, in 1940 she "married" Elmer the bull, who became the symbol for Elmer's Glue.

Answer: Carling Black Label Beer

"Hey Mabel! Black Label!" was a familiar jingle on TV in the days before alcoholic beverage advertising was restricted in the US. The character of Mabel, a barmaid, was originally played in the 1950s by actress Jean Goodspeed, but she quit in a few year to become a wife and mother, and the company decided to animate the character of Mabel. Ads featuring Mabel ran for about 20 years.

Answer: 9Lives cat food

Morris started his career as the finicky mascot for 9Lives in 1968. The original Morris was acquired from a shelter in Hinsdale, Illinois. There have been several Morrises along the way, all of them orange tabby tomcats.

Answer: National Federation of Coffee Growers

Juan Valdez is a fictional character who has been portrayed in advertisements for Colombian coffee since 1958, by both actors and animation. He is generally accompanied by Conchita, his mule. In Colombia and some other countries, there are Juan Valdez coffee shops.

Answer: Toys R Us

Geoffrey actually made his debut before the company took the name Toys R Us. In the 1950s it was called Children's Bargaintown, and Geoffrey's original name was Dr. G. Raffe. Both entities evolved, changing their names at the same time.

Answer: RCA Victor

The original Nipper was a real dog, born in 1884, the subject of the now-famous painting "His Master's Voice", in which he is portrayed looking inquisitively into the bell of an old gramophone. Although probably best known as the mascot for RCA Victor, Nipper was used as a symbol for several other companies related to phonography. Nipper passed away several years before the painting was created.