Wrath of the Keebler Elves
As a kid, I remember the Keebler Elve’s commercials quite fondly. At the time I never really understood the connection between the elves and Keebler, but I had no knowledge at that age of a key component of marketing and advertising; branding.
According to the Keebler Brands web site, the Keebler elves (including the main elf himself, Ernie Keebler) are among the most recognized characters in advertising, right up there with Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Bud Light’s Spud MacKenzie.
The elves are supposed to symbolize dedication, generosity and good-naturedness as they work in a hollow tree churning out endless amounts of Uncommonly Good® products, which include mainly snack items like cookies and crackers.
Paul Davidson, author of Consumer Joe, recently blogged about whether or not it’d be better to be a Oompa Loompa or Keebler Elf;
Let me put it to you this way. Would you rather spend each and every day dancing around like a clown, singing songs for stuck-up children on a tour of your bosses’ chocolate facility, constantly bending at the knees (ouch, arthritis!), constantly having to wear weird flourescently-decorated striped M.C. Hammer stretch pants, and singing in rhyme… OR… Would you rather work in a nice little forest, in a great house built into a tree (phat, baby!), and come up with great new and exciting ideas for cookies, crackers and other sweet treats which you, yourself, will always get credit for?
It breaks down this way. Would you rather be a slave or an entrepreneur?
It’s interesting how these little elves are permenantly ingrained in our minds as “do gooders”, the perfect worker, tiny entrepreneurs who do one thing right; creating sugary goodness for sweet-toothed consumption.
I don’t know about you, but every time I pass by a Keebler package sitting there on the shelf I often wonder if a Keebler elf might’ve accidently fallen in, waiting there for me to purchase the box so I can take him home and release him back into the wild to continue his (or her) quest for snack good dominance.
11 Comments, Comment or Ping
Colin D. Devroe
I should sue the Keeblers - cavities are their fault.
Jun 9th, 2005
Peter Flaschner
I’d be more worried that they fell into the batter. Hey, what’s this crunchy bit?
Jun 9th, 2005
Mike
The Fudge Shoppe Chocolate Stripe cookies are the best. I just love when conversations turn to food. Oh, and your making me crave junk food Erik. Thanks.
I can hear the seven dwarfs coming round the bend. Hi ho, hi ho…
Jun 9th, 2005
John Oxton
Heh! great article. Though I have to admit to never having heard of Keebler or their Elves!
Jun 9th, 2005
Adam Michela
Today was sooooo not a good day to skip lunch. :|
Jun 9th, 2005
Dad
Wasn’t Matt a Kebbler Elf?????
Jun 9th, 2005
Greg
I’m thinking that if a Keebler elf dropped out of the box, I might have a problem. Something about little people scurrying around that freaks me out. Insert your own Tom Cruise joke.
I was always rooting for Gargamel to stomp on those Smurfs. And what about Chucky? Or that Gage kid that hid under the bed and stabbed old man Munster in the leg.
Didn’t anybody else think that Darby O’Gill and the Little People was Disney’s attempt at horror?
Cool new blockquote icon by the way.
Jun 10th, 2005
Max
Oh man, now I’m going to go around yelling “It’s the BANSHEE!” at everyone within range. I love Darby O’Gill…
Erik, what is with you and small forest-dwelling men?
Jun 10th, 2005
Michael
Hello! I would definitely not want to be a Keebler Elf. Check out my website, to find out why. I hate the Keebler Elves! My website is: http://www.freewebs.com/leprechaunworld
Jul 14th, 2005
Babe
In the middle of the world we are spos 2 belive keebler evles make cookies?
Apr 25th, 2007
Wired Nerve
How about keebler elves in politics? If you look closely I think Warren Christopher, Joe Lieberman and Paul Wolfowitz resembles the human version of a keebler elf.
Jun 12th, 2007
Reply to “Wrath of the Keebler Elves”