Kool Aid Man

There are several aspects of fictional characters that give them an edge as brand representatives. They follow directions, only say what has been approved by the organization and can avoid issues with all types of illegal activities. The Kool-Aid Man, a smiling pitcher that has survived through decades of advertising, is a perfect example of why brand characters can be so successful.

In the 1950s, the Kool-Aid Man was merely a goofy-looking pitcher. He lacked color, luster, personality and any recognizable features to make him an icon of Kool-Aid. Consequently, his positioning within the 1950s advertisement was less than significant. Fast forward 60 years, however, and the Kool-Aid Man is now the entire image of his brand. Why is this possible? Because the Kool-Aid Man was able to successfully convey consistent messaging for his brand while still evolving through the ages.

As we can see by comparing the two commercials above, the Kool-Aid Man went from dull and simple to large and extravagant. He went from contributing only two lines in an ad to essentially starring in one. Furthermore, he grew arms and legs and kept up with styles and fashions. All things considered, the Kool-Aid Man transformed over the years to become more appealing to the target audience and more significant to the brand. Nonetheless, we can also see the similarity in messaging between these two advertisements. The 1950s ad focuses on the idea that Kool-Aid is an economical beverage option that goes a lot farther than the competition in terms of expense. In the more recent ad, the foot race demonstrates that Kool-Aid can still go farther than its rival (Soda) by providing "more smiles per gallon." These two messages are essentially the same and make it possible for the Kool-Aid Man to remain a cool brand character.