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O is for Oh Yeah....

Kool-Aid Man

...is the mascot for Kool-Aid, a popular drink mix. The character has appeared on television and print advertising as a fun-loving character, appearing to children and sharing his Kool-Aid beverage, as well as his catchphrase "Oh yeah!" He is a gigantic pitcher, filled with Kool-Aid and marked with a finger-painted smiley face.

Before he was officially the Kool-Aid Man back in 1975, he was the “Pitcher Man”. The Pitcher Man was created in 1954 by Marvin Plotts, an art director for a New York-based advertising agency. General Foods had just purchased Kool-Aid from the drink’s creator Edwin Perkins the year before, and Plotts was charged with drafting a concept to illustrate the copy message: “A 5-cent package makes two quarts. " Working from his Chicago home on a cold day, Plotts watched as his young son traced smiley face patterns on a frosty windowpane," recounts Sue Uerling, marketing and communications director for Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History. This inspired Marvin Plotts to create a beaming glass pitcher filled with flavorful drink: the Pitcher Man. From there on the joyful pitcher was on all the Kool-Aid’s advertisements.

In 1975 Kraft Foods created the character’s first costume with arms and legs. He also became more of an action figure in commercials — performing extreme sports and busting through brick walls. Kool-Aid Man is famously known for shouting, “Oh, Yeah!” as he is summoned by thirsty children with the phrase, "Hey, Kool-Aid!". Commercials of the era also featured a catchy jingle, always ending with the Kool-Aid Man's phrase.

10 comments:

  1. "Hey Kool-Aid!" I remember the kids shouting for him on commercials during Saturday morning cartoons when I was growing up.

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  2. I feel like I'm missing out. I've never seen Kool Aid Man before.

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  3. pitcher man doesn't have the same ring to it!

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  4. Haha, this reminds me of the zombie kool-aid man from Robot chicken. I love the Kool-aid man, man.

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  5. Man, talk about advertising working! I not only was totally into Kool-Aid for the bad-ass buddy shaped like a pitcher crashing through things and creating a party scene, but I also wanted Imperial butter so I'd grow a crown.

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  6. he broke into your virtual house and gave you sugar... i sense some jail time coming. kidding.

    he was a role model for heavy kids with a red skin disease... kidding.

    always smiling!

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  7. Jeremy - I did not know this about the Kool-Aid man! See...one is never too old to learn something new...and, this is from my era to boot. I think I should have learned about this somewhere along the way! I grew up on Kool-aid! Funny how this brings back so many memories.

    Thanks for featuring this post in your write-up over at A to Z today!

    Cheers, Jenny @ Pearson Report
    Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z

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  8. Ok, gotta say, I was thinking of a different "O"...but this was cool too! I totally remember these commercials. When I moved here from Sweden, I was fascinated by commercials. At that time, Sweden had two TV Channels, programming was only available from 5 to midnight, and there were no kids shows except at Christmas vacation time. Hmmm, I should flesh this out for April...thanks for the idea!
    Tina @ Life is Good
    Co-Host of the April A to Z Challenge
    Twitter: @AprilA2Z #atozchallenge

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