I love advertising icons. And I collect them. Seriously. My office has an ever-growing collection of advertising icons, from PVC figurines of Mr. Peanut and Toucan Sam (Froot Loops) and Snap, Crackle, & Pop bobble heads, to plush figures of Tony the Tiger and the Taco Bell Chihuahua. If it’s an ad icon, I either have it – or want it. 

I got to thinking about that the other day, when a friend saw my office for the first time, and commented on the collection. Why do I love advertising icons so much? After thinking about it for a while, I’ve come up with some reasons why I do – and why I’m not alone in this.

1. Icons allow marketers to focus attention on the strong points of their brand, and put them together in what amounts to a condensed form. Think of an icon as a kind of a shorthand, to communicate instantly a brand message. 
2. Icons give your brand a personality. Think of it – Mr. Clean is a big strong guy who is obviously really good at cleaning (how else to keep the white t-shirt and pants spotless?). Tony the Tiger is always full of boundless energy. Mr. Peanut is dashing, sophisticated, and cool. 
3. Icons provide a way to extend your brand image, by using that personality to interact with the public. Think of the brilliant Jack in the Box spots. (Any of them – they are all fantastic.) Jack at once is hip, in control, and ironic – and projects his personality in the TV spots, using his tongue-in-ball approach to position the brand as far more hip than McDonald’s (and far less whacked-out than Burger King). 
4. Icons are memorable. Brands are built over time. Icons allow you to carry forward all the goodwill and value from previous impressions, instead of having to build the message anew, each time you create an ad. 
5. Icons are cool. A successful icon is worth its weight in gold, and can become a way to generate a secondary income stream via licensing. 
6. Icons have legs. Not legs in the sense of two extremities, but legs in the sense that they tend to survive changes in agencies of record, changing of the guard in marketing departments, and changes in society. Icons endure. 
7. Icons save money in the long run. Think about it. Once you’ve spent money building a brand, wouldn’t you like to be able to rest on your laurels every now and then, if only for a moment or so? Icons let you do that. All Green Giant has to do is to play the “Ho Ho Ho” jingle and show the giant animation tag, and it’s as good as a blue ribbon seal – you automatically know that the product advertised is going to have the “Green Giant Seal of Approval.” No need to wonder if the product’s any good. That’s money in the bank, when you don’t have to spend time convincing the public that your new product is safe, tasty, or worth the money. 
8. Icons work. Ask any company that has a product or corporate icon, and they’ll tell you that nothing is more sacred, or more important to the success of the company, than to protect the integrity of the icon. I’ve done some work before on campaigns that involved corporate brand icons, and the rule book you must deal with (and the gauntlet you must pass through for approval) is both impressive and daunting. They don’t expend that kind of energy on something unimportant. Successful companies know that icons are like currency in the same league as precious metals. They transcend economics. 
9. Killing an icon is a study in stupidity. 7-Up killed the “Spot” character. Can you remember a 7-Up ad lately? Neither can I. Jack in the Box killed the clown – and then brought him back a decade later…and hasn’t stopped since. (Unlike many, they learned from their mistakes.) Speedy Alka Seltzer, though semi-retired, still plays a role in Alka Seltzer advertising (especially online). He’s too big a presence to leave behind. 

I could think of more, but I think you get the point. If you’re willing to go for the long game, instead of the short-term gratification, a brand icon is the way to go. They are not easy to create. They must be nurtured. And they can prove to be fragile, if not protected. But they can boost your product or service into the bigs, when it comes to brand image.

* All the brand icons mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks and property of their respective companies. Although I’d kill to own the rights to any of them.