If you haven’t learned by now, I think character-driven advertising is a fascinating strategy for companies to include in their efforts. Every category, ranging from cereal, to fast-food restaurants, and convenience foods all have them. Between these quizzes, I think I have proved my point that almost every company out there relies on characters to promote their brand, at least at some point in time.
American retail stores use characters to persuade both children and adults to shop with them over their competitors. It’s so much easier for us to associate a brand name with a character that has eyes and a mouth rather than just a faceless company.
Here for your enjoyment is the last character-driven advertising quiz on our blog for a while (I have one more in the works, but am surprised how hard it is to find characters given the category). For this quiz, you’ll be playing for all the marbles: bragging rights, Cubeville Street Cred, AND a thumbs up from Bubba. Just correctly name the store these characters belong to and make your mother proud!
Red light. GREEN LIGHT!
1. Geoffrey the Giraffe
2. Mr. Rollback
3. The Rubberband Man
4. Manny, Moe, and Jack
5. The Menards Guy
6. Spot the Dog
7. Dunkie
8. Bearemey
9. Mannequins
10. Bubba
11. A Siren
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. Mr. Bluelight
14. Homer D. Poe
15. BONUS: Allen Wrench
**Please note: Comments will be withheld for an hour or so to give everyone a chance at a fair guess, so be patient. Remember, it’s considered cheating in all fifty states if you use a search engine (Google, Bing, Dogpile, and/or Ask.com) to look the answers up. And everyone knows that cheaters don’t deserve bragging rights, Cubeville Street Cred or a thumbs up from Bubba but instead deserves the stink eye from all who pass by.
You’ve been warned. Now go forth and have fun submitting your answers!
Article by Amy Swanson
Amy is one of Quality Logo Products’ content developers and social media coordinators. She is a self-professed newspaper nerd and thoroughly enjoys reading business and financial news and having impromptu discussions about it. Oh yeah, she’s “one of those” people! A true Midwestern girl by nature, she loves riding her bike, photography, and the Chicago Cubs. You can also connect with Amy on Google+ and Twitter.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
1. Toys-R-Us
2. Walmart
3. Office Max?
4. No idea
5. Menards
6. Target
7. No idea
8. Build-a-bear?
9. Old Navy
10. Quality Logo Products
11. Starbucks
12. Random guess here is Macy’s
13. K-mart!
14. Absolutely no idea
BONUS: Sears?
I’M CALLING SHENANIGANS ON THIS WHOLE QUIZ.
Wow Amy, some of these are really tough!
I look forward to seeing the answers.
1. Geoffrey the Giraffe – Toys R Us
2. Mr. Rollback – Wal-mart
3. The Rubberband Man – ?
4. Manny, Moe, and Jack – I’m picturing an Oil Change Company
5. The Menards Guy – Menards
6. Spot the Dog – Target
7. Dunkie – Dunkin’ Donuts?
8. Bearemey – Build A Bear?
9. Mannequins – Old Navy
10. Bubba – Quality Logo Products
11. A Siren – Starbucks
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. Mr. Bluelight – Kmart
14. Homer D. Poe – Home Depot
15. BONUS: Allen Wrench – ?
1. Geoffrey the Giraffe- Toys Are Us
2. Mr. Rollback- Wallmart
3. The Rubberband Man- Kinkos maybe?
4. Manny, Moe, and Jack- Pep Boys Auto
5. The Menards Guy- Menards (his name is Al)
6. Spot the Dog- Some hot dog place
7. Dunkie- Dunkin Donuts???
8. Bearemey- what?
9. Mannequins- Old Navy
10. Bubba- QLP!!!!
11. A Siren- a firehouse
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer- Santa Clause
13. Mr. Bluelight- K-Mart
14. Homer D. Poe- Home Depot
15. BONUS: Allen Wrench- Ace Hardware
This was a tough one! Great job stumping me Amy! I haven’t even heard of some of these “mascots”.
1. Geoffrey the Giraffe – Toys ‘R Us
2. Mr. Rollback – Wal-Mart
3. The Rubberband Man – ?
4. Manny, Moe, and Jack – ?
5. The Menards Guy – Lowe’s?
6. Spot the Dog – ?
7. Dunkie – Dunkin’ Donuts
8. Bearemey – ?
9. Mannequins – ?
10. Bubba – Quality Logo Products?
11. A Siren – ?
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – ?
13. Mr. Bluelight – K-Mart?
14. Homer D. Poe – ?
15. BONUS: Allen Wrench – ?
I would just like to say that “the Menards guy” has a name: Ray Szmanda.
He also has feelings.
I’m sure he’s a great guy too! That’s what his name comes up in google when you search for their advertising character.
I am surprised at how many I do not know – though if there were pictures I think I might do better – 1) Toys R Us, 4) Pep Boys, 5) Menards, 6) Target, 10) Quality Logo Products, 13) K-Mart.
Hi, just wondering if there are there going to be “official answers” at some point, or are we on our own?
Hi, David! Here are the answers (sorry for the delay, Amy had a half day today so I had to locate them)!
1. Geoffrey the Giraffe: Toys R Us
2. Mr. Rollback: WalMart
3. The Rubberband Man: OfficeMax Stores
4. Manny, Moe, and Jack: Pep Boys auto parts
5. The Menards Guy: Menards
6. Spot the dog: Target stores
7. Dunkie: Dunkin’ Donuts
8. Bearemey: Build-A-Bear Workshops
9. Mannequins: Old Navy
10. Bubba: Quality Logo Products
11. A Siren: Starbucks Coffee
12. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: Montgomery Ward
13. Mr. Bluelight: Kmart
14. Homer D. Poe: Home Depot
15. BONUS: Allen Wrench: Shøp (Springfield’s version of IKEA in season 4 of The Simpsons)
Thanks Jill! What was Amy thinking taking a half-day!