Grand Rapids Public Museum

Besides being cute and colorful, what do the Energizer Bunny, Fruit-Striped Zebra and Toucan Sam all have in common? They were a part of a marketing strategy to advertise consumer products and services using a representational character and they are now part of the collection amassed by John Henry, a professor of advertising and design at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, MI.  John started collecting these fascinating creatures in 1999 from yard sales, thrift shops and toy auctions, and has for ten years used them as teaching tools for his students.

Advertising characters became popular at the turn of the twentieth century when they were pictured in magazines, newspapers, and packaging ads. Three-dimensional representations of the characters were also created in the form of statuettes, hard and plush toys and dolls. These were often registered as a company trademark, logo or brand. With industry changing towards mass-production of products and services, these three-dimensional advertising characters came to embody the qualities of large companies and their products. They were used to communicate key messages about products to consumers.

When Professor Henry was asked what he found most interesting about the collection he responded, “For me it’s intriguing to reinforce the memory of the consumer. One of my favorites is the Striped Gum Zebra. The character shares the look of the Fruit Striped Gum product. The personality of the character also reinforce the product, for instance, the Esso Tiger has power and speed.”

John Henry originally offered the Grand Rapids Public Museum more than 500 pieces. After thorough research into the history and cultural value of each character, 100 advertising character toys were selected for the Museum's permanent collection along with 16 other associated items. These include more general toys, Kool-Aid advertising cups and a Camel cigarette advertising sign.

Advertising characters have had a strong resonance with consumers both in America and internationally resulting in effectiveness and longevity in the marketplace. They have continued to evolve with the changing times and become important cultural icons.

To explore Professor John Henry’s collection search the Collections Catalog using the keyword "John Henry".