CHICAGO — If you happened to spot the Pillsbury Doughboy wandering around Navy Pier this week, or peering down from the top floor of the Willis Tower, you weren't having some sort of weird childhood flashback.
The 50-year-old doughboy, in all his pants-less glory, is in town this week to celebrate a first-of-its-kind exhibit: "A Salute to Advertising's Greatest Icons," set to open on Saturday at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, 360 N. State St., in River North.
"They've been seen by more people" than the greatest TV celebrities, said the Museum's CEO, Bruce DuMont. "Their careers are longer than anyone else, they're seen around the world. They are the personification of great American brands."
DuMont said the idea for the exhibit came from a volunteer who mentioned the idea, just in passing, in the fall. From that informal conversation came the serious push to make it happen; the museum reached out to ad agencies that created some of the most iconic advertising characters: Ronald McDonald, Kellogg's Tony the Tiger and Snap, Crackle & Pop, S.C. Johnson's Mr. Clean and Raid Bugs, 9 Live's Morris the Cat, Starkist's Charlie the Tuna, Keebler's Elves and General Mill's Jolly Green Giant and Pillsbury Doughboy.
See the slideshow below for a sneak peek inside the exhibit.
Ten in all, and by coincidence, all created by Chicago ad agencies. DuMont said he doesn't know if there's "something in the water" in Chicago that produced all these icons, but "there is a lot of creativity here, really something unique."
"They have all stood the test of time, they're all out there in various incarnations, all indelibly etched in our minds," DuMont said, dismissing the notion that once someone grows up, the icons seem to disappear. They are still in use, says DuMont, some more in social media, as with Morris the Cat, and others still strong in commercials.
The exhibit will examine the creation and evolution of the characters, in all forms of media. Ad agencies and brand historians will describe how the characters were designed and how they've evolved over the years.
"It takes us back to a simpler time, a happier time, a younger time," DuMont said. "It reminds us of family and comfort and warmth. It's the essence of all nostalgia," and unlike other exhibits at the museum, different generations will be able to relate to the commercial icons.
Mike Siemienas of Minnesota's General Mills said the company was "very excited" to jump on board with the exhibit when the museum called. He said the Pillsbury Doughboy, born in 1965, got mobbed by kids on his visit to Navy Pier this week, who wanted to hug him and poke his stomach to hear that iconic giggle.
The exhibit will display the characters and their histories, and TVs in the exhibit will be playing the famous commercials in a continuous loop. Starting in June, each icon will get a featured week that includes look-a-like contests and product giveaways from the companies themselves.
There will also be a flea market at the museum to allow collectors to trade the character collectibles they've picked up over the years.
There's talk that the show may go on the road when the exhibit wraps up at the Museum on Oct. 31.
So why does DuMont think it will be a hit?
A few days ago, the museum hosted a meeting of Chicago's alumni of Harvard University — certainly a high-brow crowd. He said when the alumni snuck a peak at the exhibit under construction, "they were flipping over it, oohing and awing. That was my first market test, and [that's when I knew] this thing's going to be a huge success."
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