14 Commercial Mascots from the Past That Wouldn’t Be Approved Today
A blast from the past, these once-beloved mascots reveal how advertising used to rely on stereotypes, outdated ideals, and eyebrow-raising humor that would never be accepted in today’s more socially aware world.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Once staples of billboards, cereal boxes, and TV screens, these retired mascots tell a revealing story about the cultural blind spots of their time. From racial caricatures to cartoon pitchmen that marketed cigarettes to kids, these icons reflect how advertising once casually leaned on stereotypes and controversial imagery. Revisiting them today isn’t just a nostalgia trip — it’s a window into how far we’ve come and the values we’ve left behind.
1. Frito Bandito – Fritos (1967–1971)
Image from Wikipedia
Frito-Lay introduced the Frito Bandito as a cartoon Mexican bandit with a thick accent, droopy mustache, and a habit of stealing corn chips. Though voiced by Mel Blanc (of Bugs Bunny fame), the character relied on crude stereotypes of Mexican culture. Amid protests from Mexican-American groups, he was pulled in the early ’70s.
2. Aunt Jemima – Quaker Oats (1889–2020)
Image from Wikipedia
Aunt Jemima began as a minstrel-show character and evolved into a brand icon rooted in plantation nostalgia. Her image — once a headscarf-wearing mammy figure — perpetuated racist archetypes dating back to slavery. After decades of criticism, the brand retired her image and name in 2020.
3. Camel – Joe Camel (1987–1997)
Image from Wikipedia
Joe Camel was a cool, sunglasses-wearing cartoon camel created to market Camel cigarettes. The problem? Research showed that children could identify Joe Camel just as easily as Mickey Mouse, suggesting the mascot was appealing to minors. Public backlash and lawsuits finally pushed R.J. Reynolds to retire him.
4. Chief Wahoo – Cleveland Indians (1947–2018)
Image from Wikipedia
Chief Wahoo, the grinning, red-faced caricature of a Native American, was the face of Cleveland’s baseball team for decades. While beloved by some fans, the logo was deeply offensive to many Indigenous people and civil rights groups. Major League Baseball agreed to phase it out in 2018.
5. The Gold Dust Twins – Fairbank’s Gold Dust Washing Powder (late 1800s–1950s)
Image from Wikipedia
These twins, Goldie and Dustie, were depicted as two smiling Black children happily cleaning with the soap powder. Their exaggerated features and servile roles mirrored racist caricatures common in post-slavery America. The brand quietly disappeared as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction.
6. Rastus – Cream of Wheat (1893–2020)
Image from Wikipedia
Rastus, the smiling Black chef on Cream of Wheat boxes, was modeled after a minstrel character and spoke in broken English in early ads. Although he was eventually visually cleaned up, the character’s roots were never addressed. In 2020, the brand finally dropped him amid a wave of racial reckoning.
7. Speedy Alka-Seltzer – Alka-Seltzer (1950s–1970s)
Image from Wikipedia
With his pill-shaped head and constant bouncing, Speedy was once the enthusiastic face of fast relief. However, his design, a literal walking drug, became problematic in an era of increasing sensitivity around drug messaging and children’s exposure to pharma imagery. Eventually, Alka-Seltzer retired Speedy for a more subdued look.
8. Sambo’s Restaurant Mascot – Sambo’s (1957–1980s)
Image from Wikipedia
Sambo’s leaned heavily on imagery from the racist children’s book The Story of Little Black Sambo, using a dark-skinned boy as its logo. At its peak, it had over 1,100 locations. However, as civil rights groups called out the name and imagery, public pressure compelled the chain to rebrand or close most of its locations.
9. Uncle Ben – Uncle Ben’s Rice (1946–2020)
Image from Wikipedia
Uncle Ben was portrayed as a kindly elderly Black man in a bow tie, echoing the stereotype of the faithful servant. While the brand claimed he was a symbol of trust and quality, many saw the image as a relic of Jim Crow-era marketing. In 2020, the brand rebranded as “Ben’s Original” and retired the character.
10. The Jolly Green Giant’s Sidekick – Little Sprout (1970s–1980s)
Image from Wikipedia
While not offensive in a racial or cultural sense, Little Sprout’s exaggerated childlike naivete and dependence on the adult Giant raised eyebrows in later years. Critics said he reinforced outdated ideas of passive childhood and gender roles. By the 2000s, Little Sprout was mostly phased out.
11. Spuds MacKenzie – Bud Light (1987–1989)
Image from Wikipedia
Spuds was a party-loving bull terrier who represented the ultimate “cool dog” persona. The problem? The campaign blurred the line between adult humor and kid-friendly appeal, drawing scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission. Eventually, Anheuser-Busch pulled the plug amid mounting criticism.
12. Miss Chiquita – Chiquita Bananas (1944–present, revised)
Image from Wikipedia
Originally a banana with feminine legs, Miss Chiquita was turned into a cartoon Latina woman with exaggerated curves and a flirtatious tone. Critics said she exoticized Latin American women and reduced them to fruit-themed sex symbols. Over time, Chiquita has redesigned itself to be more respectful and modern.
13. The Fighting Sioux – University of North Dakota (logo retired in 2012)
Image from Wikipedia
Although not a corporate mascot, the Fighting Sioux was used heavily in merchandise and branding. The logo and name were widely seen as a disrespectful appropriation of Native culture. After years of legal battles and protests, the school transitioned to a new identity: the Fighting Hawks.
14. Habitant Man – Habitant Soup (1950s–1980s)
Image from Wikipedia
The Habitant man, used by a Canadian soup company, was a caricature of a French-Canadian farmer, complete with snowshoes and a toque. While not overtly offensive, it played into outdated rural stereotypes that many Quebecois found reductive. The mascot quietly vanished from packaging by the late 20th century.