Character Trademarks

Book excerpt: With the growing awareness of the value of character trademark symbols in product design, marketing, and promotion has come a resurgence of interest in these extraordinary icons. The popularity of the California Raisins and other recent examples attest to the appeal of character trademarks in popular culture. From Reddy Kilowatt to Colonel Sanders, there is humor and nostalgia in the humble, often "kitschy" images which have become classics of commercial folk art that every consumer can relate to. This engaging volume contains approximately one thousand trademarks from the past ninety years, as well as a "Hall of Fame" section profiling some of the classic characters with the history of their development. Chronicle Books is pleased to include this remarkable volume in its series of design books, including Trademarks of the 20's and 30's and Trademarks of the 40's and 50's.