MASCOTS: Colonel Sanders. Tony the Tiger. Toucan Sam. Mickey Mouse.

Some mascots have become such a part of pop culture that they are instantly recognizable to consumers.

Others have the name of the product right in their own names, like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Energizer Bunny, Mr. Clean, the Geico Gecko, Mr. Pringle, Cap’n Crunch, Jolly Green Giant.

Some, like Bibendum — also known as the Michelin Man — might be recognized by their image if not their name.

And still others might be recognizable to older folks, like the Marlboro Man, Elsie the Cow, the Doublemint Twins, Mr. Whipple, the Maytag Repairman, Woodsy Owl.

Remember, “Madge! I soaked in it!” It’s a commercial for Palmolive dish soap. Or “Mikey likes it!” for Life cereal.

It wasn’t that long ago that McDonald’s had McDonaldland, populated by the ever-smiling clown Ronald McDonald and his friends, Grimace — the purple blob who was supposed to represent a milkshake, the Hamburglar, Birdie the Early Bird, the Fry Kids, Mayor McCheese, Officer Big Mac, Captain Crook, The Professor, McNugget Buddies and the Happy Meal Gang.

In 1984, in a Super Bowl ad, Clara Peller, a Russian-born manicurist who got her start in acting as an octogenarian, got her most famous line in a commercial — “Where’s the beef?” It was a Wendy’s ad that raised their sales by 31%.

Nike’s famous “Just Do It” campaign has been hugely successful, but the idea for it had a rather dark beginning. It came from killer Gary Gilmore’s last words, “Let’s do it.”

Advertising makes a big difference. We’re sure readers have recognized most of what we’ve shared here, all of which came from advertising campaigns.