Advertisers in the 1980s had a very loose interpretation of who could be a spokesperson. Many were not even people: Domino’s Pizza’s the Noid, Joe Camel, 7-Up’s Cool Spot the Red Dot (who was just a dot with sunglasses) and the California Raisins. These characters put anthropomorphized faces on mega-corporations. Perhaps none resonated more or for longer than Spuds MacKenzie, the official party dog of Bud Light.
During 30-second TV spots he was seen lounging, while Anheuser-Busch rode these riches all the way to the bank. Spuds appeared on T-shirts, hats, lighters, koozies, glasses, lamps, belt buckles, beach towels, clocks, puffy stickers, Swatch watches and posters pinned to teenagers’ walls.
