Advertising Icon Museum

Some commercial products have reached the ultimate position of brand-name recognition. These brand names have also made it into the lexicon of everyday living and marked American society and culture. For example, Mr. Bubble, the Energizer Bunny, the Jolly Green Giant and Betty Crocker have made such a connection with the general population that it’s difficult to imagine a world without them. Characters used in advertising become part of the fabric of popular culture and emerge not just as physical symbols of the products for which they were created, but as icons that have come to characterize the values of entire generations.

The Advertising Icon Museum is the first institution of its kind in the world to focus on advertising icons and to provide a place for the interpretation of these icons and their importance to our culture. Visitors will explore through authentic artifacts and vivid stories how icons are used to sell products and in doing so, reflect the aspirations, desires and cultural values of the era in which they were created. It will provide a pop-cultural experience for people of all ages, backgrounds and interests as it explores the many ways characters created just for use in advertising have become woven into the fabric of modern life. It is a survey of history and a look at what is happening now. It is a living museum that will continue to evolve with the times.

The museum’s mission is to educate and enhance the public’s appreciation and understanding of advertising and product branding through the use of advertising icons and fictional characters, and to explore how these icons reflect social and cultural values.

The museum is a 3,000-piece icon collection with 500 displayed in a larger-than-life exibit. The collection is made up of three-dimensional objects and original printed materials and is supported by radio and television advertisements.