Top 5 Branded Icons
Top Five Branded Icons
The other day, I blogged about some of the how-to’s and benefits of branding, and also mentioned a few actual branding icons. The companies associated with those icons have excelled at creating “brand awareness”. At the top of my list was the Verizon guy, and then there were the PC and Mac guys.
I started thinking; it would be interesting to rank my top five candidates for best icon. That is —- the best living icon, human or animal.
So here they are:
1. The Verizon guy.
Can there be any argument at all? This guy has been around for several years now, and is still at it, and still asking, “Can you hear me now?” Whether we like him or whether we are annoyed by that same, predictable, unwavering question, we immediately recognize his corporate brand.
- The Mac and PC guys
It would be hard to dispute the effectiveness of these guys. The PC guy is square and old- hat, while the Mac guy is confident and forward-thinking. The average consumer is drawn to the Mac guy, creating brand awareness and conveying the exact image that Apple wants to project.
- The Aflac Duck.
OK, it was a toss-up here between the Duck and the Gecko, and the duck won. Sometimes the commercials miss their mark, but together, the visual image of the duck combined with his Aflac quack, get the message across quite effectively.
- The Geico Gecko
OK so your name is Geico…what can you do with a name like that? How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of insurance companies? With a likeable lizard from down-under, that’s how! He’s funny, he’s endearing, he’s memorable….he deserves a raise.
- Jack-in-the-Box
Call me crazy but I like the cool, insouciance of old Jack. With a voice that sounds a lot like Robert Wagner, Jack exudes that same world-weary tolerance for those who are not as sophisticated as he. Here again, not all of Jack’s commercials are winners, but I enjoy watching for those subtle changes of expression, in his mouth and eyes.
OK, so those are my candidates for the top five branded icons. How do they compare to your favorites?
