Episode 04: Reddy Kilowatt, Big Boy and Advertising Mascots

 

You may think this episode is shocking. You may claim it has sizzle. That means our chosen characters are working their magic. Long before the Energizer Bunny or the GEICO Gecko, advertising icons Reddy Kilowatt and Big Boy rose from humble beginnings to popularity stretching from coast-to-coast (and beyond). We discuss how electricity became humanized, a portly youth inspired a diner owner, and those two characters grew to be embraced by multiple generations (including movie director David Lynch).


E X T R A S :

Above: An original photostat model sheet from the Walter Lantz Studios production of 1940s commercials featuring Reddy Kilowatt. This model sheet was created at the studio and used during the production of the commercials.

Reddy Kilowatt
“Whatever Happened to Reddy Kilowatt?” (Duke Energy article)
Your Electric Servant (Smithsonian Institute article)
Memorabilia overview
The Reddy Kilowatt theme song
New York State Pavilion (Wikipedia article)



Additional Resources
Meet Mr. Product: The Art of the Advertising Character by Warren Dotz
What a Character! by Warren Dotz, Jim Morton and John William Lund
“The Gecko Effect” (Planet Money episode about advertising mascots and the insurance industry)
“Reddy Kilowatt, the Unhinged Electricity Mascot From 1926, Deserves a Comeback” (The Drive article)


 
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Episode 05: Rat Fink, Screaming Hands and West Coast Street Culture

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Episode 03: Rural Electrification, Hope for Obama and Posters for Good