The Top 10 Ad Icons Of The Last 100 Years

Here is Advertising Age's list of the Top 10 ad icons of the 20th century. These recognizable images have been crowned the most powerful in the marketplace. The criteria with which these were chosen include effectiveness, longevity, recognizability and cultural impact.

1. The Marlboro Man - Marlboro cigarettes
2. Ronald McDonald - McDonald's restaurants
3. The Green Giant - Green Giant vegetables
4. Betty Crocker - Betty Crocker food products
5. The Energizer Bunny - Eveready Energizer batteries
6. The Pillsbury Doughboy - Assorted Pillsbury foods
7. Aunt Jemima - Aunt Jemima pancake mixes and syrup
8. The Michelin Man - Michelin tires
9. Tony the Tiger - Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes
10. Elsie - Borden dairy products - List via AdAge.com
    

It's ironic, the number one icon is the one that has had the most controversy. The 2 prominent actors depicted as the 60's and 70's Marlboro man both died of lung cancer.

Elsie was way before my time and there are a couple that I think have been omitted. What about Smokey the Bear? Sure it wasn't for a consumer product but he was definitely an icon that was, and still is used in advertising. Heck, he's been patrolling the woods since 1944. And what about the Keebler Elves or Mr Peanut? I am sure you can come up with many more. What do you think??