I’ve always loved anthropomorphism: the attributing of human characteristics to non-human things. And though this week’s installment is only a small glimpse at the anthropomorphism so common in the advertising industry, it represents some of my favorites, at least in the food category. I’m also a sucker for anthropomorphic spark plugs, electrical cords, light bulbs, mufflers, and other mechanical things, but that’s fodder for another column.
There is something sweet about a vegetable or fruit that takes on human qualities — it’s hard to imagine a sinister, or even cynical, peach, pear, or tomato. When animals are given human traits they often gain an attitude. When fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains get eyes and ears, they’re mostly played for cute. Click on any image for a larger version.
When I was growing up, my dad made Bloody Marys from a tomato drink called Snap-E-Tom. I was always fascinated by the mascot, Ortega, who brandished a snappy Mexican straw hat and serape. It struck me as odd that his name wasn’t “Tom,” given the beverage trademark, but I guess that didn’t sound “hot” enough for the creators. Snap-E-Tom was basically tomato juice with chilies added to give it some extra bite.
Ortega wasn’t the only animated tomato. In fact, tomatoes seem to be one of the more popular fruits to anthropomorphize. Heinz catsup used a tomato character for a number of years, as did Huntz. These examples are from 1937 and 1967.
Stokely’s had marching fruit and vegetables of all kinds in early advertising. These images are from 1937.
Olives, mushrooms, and even different types of grain have all come to life. I love that the grains are Southern due to the fact that they’re kernels (as opposed to colonels), and that the mushroom and egg are finally stepping out together.
It’s natural that nuts would be, well, nutty. These two goofballs are from Skippy peanut butter ads in 1965.
I’m not sure what sort of vegetable or fruit this mascot from Del Monte is — he looks like a beet, maybe, or a radish. He appeared in ads in the early 1940s, and this one is from 1940.
Gerber’s Baby Food and Swing-A-Way can openers chose spokes-peaches in these ads from 1951 and 1956. Did you guess that they’re from Georgia?
Dole had a surfing pineapple in its ads from 1940.
I’ve never made Bloody Marys, so I’ve never had need to buy Snap-E-Tom or any other tomato juice. But you can bet if I had a choice, I’d go for the brand that had a big, juicy, smiling tomato-person on the can. And if it had a Spanish-sounding name, all the better. Olé!
This article was last modified on May 17, 2023
This article was first published on June 12, 2009
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