history

Sep 23, 2011 • By Suzy Goodsell

The creation of Poppin’ Fresh

The Pillsbury Doughboy is an American icon. An anthropomorphic embodiment of fresh dough, Poppin’ Fresh has a winning smile, big blue eyes, his signature “belly poke” and payoff giggle. Surveys often find him a favorite product mascot.

So, where did he come from?

The Leo Burnett advertising agency of Chicago was assigned to work on Pillsbury’s refrigerated dough account in 1965.

Rudy Perz, a copywriter at the time, popped open one of the cans and envisioned an image of a doughboy popping out. Martin Nodell, one of the artists in the advertising group, supposedly quickly came up with a sketch of the character.

Perz first thought the character could be animated, but after seeing the stop-action motion technique used in the credits of “The Dinah Shore Show,” he liked that better. So in 1965, the Doughboy was brought to life on television through the ground breaking technological process at Hollywood’s Cascade Pictures, Inc.

Within three years of his debut in 1965 in a crescent roll commercial, the Doughboy had an 87 percent recognition factor among consumers.

Poppin’ Fresh has been featured in numerous commercials over the years. He has been an opera singer, a rap artist, a rock star, a poet, a painter, a ballet dancer, a skydiver and a skateboarder. In addition, he has been seen playing harmonica, accordion, bugle, electric guitar and violin.

The success of Poppin’ Fresh led to the creation of Pillsbury Playthings. Playthings introduced Poppin’ Fresh as a doll in 1972. The vinyl, non-toxic doll was one of the fastest selling toys in the United States and was named “Toy of the Year” for 1972 by Playthings magazine.

A companion doll, Poppie Fresh, was introduced in February, 1973 and was seen in television and print advertising. Granmommer and Granpopper appeared in 1974 along with Uncle Rollie, who drove a car with the license plate “Rollie”. There was also a Fresh family teddy bear, Cup Cake that was produced as a stuffed animal.

In 1974, a white vinyl playhouse that doubled as a carrying case for the Doughboy family finger puppets was introduced. The set included Poppin’, Poppie, their son Popper and daughter Bun-Bun. The family would not be complete without the family’s dog, Flapjack and the cat named Biscuit.

From the beginning he has been dressed in a chef’s hat bearing the Pillsbury logo as well as a white neckerchief, and he still is considered a teacher and friend to cooks of all kinds.

As of 1998, he received 200 fan letters a week, and Pillsbury received 1,500 requests for autographed photos. In four short years, Poppin’ Fresh will reach another milestone in 2015 – his 50th Birthday.

A house smells so nice when you bake in the oven.

You bake something warm and fresh in the oven.

Nothin’ says Lovin’ like something from the oven.

And Pillsbury says it best!

– Nothin’ Says Lovin’ lyrics

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