#7 Top Spokesperson Who Have Come and Gone: Mr. Whipple

Please don’t squeeze the Charmin”

That phrase, made popular by Mr. Whipple, would encourage his shoppers not to squeeze the soft, fluffy, irresistible Charmin.

E! Online reports that the Mr. Whipple campaign originally lasted from 1964 to 1981 (of course, with the same tagline), Mr. Whipple appeared in more than 500 spots, and the actor, Dick Wilson, found acting in commercials very difficult.

E! Online reports that in an interview with the San Francisco Examiner in 1985, Wilson stated “It’s the hardest thing to do in the entire acting realm. You’ve got 24 seconds to introduce yourself, introduce the product, say something nice about it and get off gracefully.”

Mr. Whipple was a popular icon and it was proven in a 1978 poll he was named the third best-known American.

Although the campaign ended in 1981, Mr. Whipple made a triumphant return in 1999 to introduce the “New Charmin.”

In 2007 the world mourned as Wilson passed on at the age of 91. Fox News reported that Dennis Legault, a P&G brand manager stated that Mr. Whipple was “one of the most recognizable faces in the history of American Advertising.” Fox News also reports that Wilson’s daughter stated, “he is a part of the culture. He was still funny to the very end. That’s his legacy.”

Mr. Whipple’s timeless advice of not squeezing the Charmin has landed him #7 on the top spokesperson who has come and gone.