Mikey's back, don't squeeze

Sorry, Mr. Whipple: Various companies are dusting off memorable commercial campaigns, and some squeezable stars of yesteryear are playing to a new audience.

Most people remember Mikey.

He's that freckle-faced 4-year-old who never uttered a word - just shoveled huge spoonfuls of Life cereal into his mouth as his two older brothers watched in amazement.

For 12 years, he appeared on television - winning the hearts of Americans so that, even now, 80 percent remember the commercial, and most can even name the cereal it promoted. The popularity of the advertisement, which aired from 1972 to 1984, earned it No. 10 ranking among TV Guide's 50 greatest commercials.

Now, Mikey and his real-life brothers are back on prime-time television. And they're not the only faces from the past to reappear. Nostalgia advertising recently has inspired the return of such icons as StarKist's Charlie the Tuna, the Jolly Green Giant and Mr. Whipple.

Not long ago in Baltimore, Schmidt Baking Co. Inc brought back a much-loved television spot from 1981 featuring the catchy lyrics of the 1960s song by the Newbeats, "Bread and Butter."

"Advertising has earned such a strong and relevant place within our popular culture that relaunching classic ads, in addition to reviving awareness of a particular product or service, reminds consumers of the larger existence they've shared," said Abe Novick, senior vice president for strategic development for Eisner Communications. "It's almost like receiving a missive from a long-lost, dear friend, and it reinforces that emotional bond between you."

Market research told Quaker Oats that the Mikey commercial still offered strong brand equity for the company's Life cereal, which has retail sales of $125 million annually.

"We recognized that, even after 30 years, the ad really endures in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans," said Matthew M. Knott, marketing manager for Life Cereal, who watched the commercials as a child. "Amidst all the technology and time constraints, people are yearning for simple times and trusted friends."

In the case of Baltimore's Schmidt's Blue Ribbon bread, the commercial's creators at Trahan, Burden & Charles Inc. believed that the spot could be as powerful as it was originally.

"It was one of the biggest hits of all times around here," Allan Charles, vice chairman, chief creative officer, said of the commercial, which won a Clio, an advertising award considered the Oscar of the industry. "When this commercial first ran, it was the beginning of VHS, and people were calling the station to see when the commercial would be coming on so they could record it."

Anytime a company does advertising, there are risks involved, Charles said.

"We knew this was a hit," he said. "The question was would it be a hit again. The risk is that contextually it won't fit into the psyche of people as it did originally."

It wasn't the first time Trahan, Burden & Charles had returned to a successful campaign from years earlier. They dusted off the famed "More Parks Sausages Mom, Please," campaign, dating from the 1950s, and recycled it during the 1970s.

Something similar went on at the advertising shop charged with launching Procter & Gamble's new Charmin when it thought about the proven sales power of Mr. Whipple.

"When we hit on bringing him back again, it was obvious it was the right idea," said Sherry Nemmers, worldwide creative director for Charmin at D'Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles in New York.

"Not only did he connect immediately with baby boomers, he connected with 15- to 25-year-olds, because they'd heard of him."

Mr. Whipple, played by Dick Wilson, was the grocer who guarded Charmin's softness and made the slogan, "Please don't squeeze the Charmin," a household phrase through more than 500 commercials over 20 years.

A 1978 poll named Mr. Whipple the third best-known American behind President Nixon and the Rev. Billy Graham, Nemmers said.

"Culturally, he's an icon," she added. "People love him. They can't get enough of him."

In spots released last year, Whipple, 82, came out of retirement to tout the new Charmin.

"There's a comfort in having a brand that you grew up with," Nemmers said. "My feeling is that anyone who does have an icon is crazy not to be using it."

StarKist had the same thought when the company brought back Charlie the Tuna - the popular spokesman created in 1961 and a star in television ads for more than 30 years.

The Jolly Green Giant, a brand of the Pillsbury Co., made its comeback last summer in a print campaign after a hiatus of eight years. The giant's new ads were created by the Leo Burnett Co., the shop that has worked on the giant character since 1935.

In October - the Green Giant, which Advertising Age recently named the third most-recognizable American icon behind Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man - will star in new series of television spots.

Not everyone agrees that the retro strategy is a good one.