Mascot Pins and Buttons
Description: Despite millions of people taking Ritalin, very few are aware that the drug had a mascot at one point. Meet Ritalin Man, an anthropomorphic potato looking fellow dreamed up in 1975 by the Ciba-Geigy Corporation to help market and promote their wonder drug, Ritalin. He appeared in doctor's offices and pharmacy's as a series of 7" plastic figurines in various incarnations ranging from gleeful and dancing, to depressed and confused. The idea was to help hyperactive and depressed young children relate to him more easily. With a hollow head and dilated pupils, Ritalin Man seems to be in a good place here, and a reminder of the good things that drugs can do for people.
Description: If you were a kid in the late '60 or early '70s, you were likely introduced to the comedic stylings of W.C. Fields by way of a mascot known as W.C. Frito. Ironically inspired by the vaudeville comedian known for his love of alcohol and dislike of children and dogs, the cartoon mascot would show up in spots in between cartoons to extoll his love of corn chips. In addition to the TV commercials, some chip bags included W.C. Frito prizes like pencil erasers and stickers. They also had mail order promotional offers for other cool W.C. Frito items that kids could send points from their bags in to exchange for.
Description: In 1984, the world descended on Los Angeles, California, and were greeted by a very American mascot – a bald eagle named Sam. This cartoon bird of prey was friendly, cheerful, and embodied the optimistic spirit of the games. With his name a nod to Uncle Sam, and wearing USA's red, white, and blue colorways, Sam was clearly American and did a great job representing the country to a global audience.
Description: First synthesized in 1874 by the Austrian chemist Othmar Zeidler, DDT was developed as an insecticide. In 1945, DDT was made available for sale in the United States, and although it was promoted for use as an agricultural and household pesticide, there were also concerns about its use from the beginning. As a result, marketing campaigns to counter the concerns were launched, including "DDT Is Good For Me-e-e!" from Pennsalt Chemicals, which included print ads and radio spots with a cast of characters singing about how wonderful DDT was. The EPA began regulatory actions in the late '50s and '60s to prohibit many of DDT's uses because of mounting evidence of environmental and toxicological effects, leading to a ban in 1972.
