Old brand mascots find new life in social media.

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the likes of Charlie the Tuna and the silent, but sophisticatedly dressed Planters Mr. Peanut, they’ve found new lives and voices in social media. While they may have died on TV like many of the shows they advertised on, they are alive and well, with new roles as brand ambassadors in social media, where there is plenty of time and space for their schtick.

Not all mascots survived the transition.  The King at the burger joint was retired due to lack of current relevance, and even social media could not resuscitate him.

The interactive nature of social media and, the high degree of brand engagement that goes on there, has created the perfect application for brand mascots.  The two take-aways are these: old mascots don’t always  have to die and understanding the use of new media is no longer a simple curiosity, but a marketing imperative.