Charlie the Tuna: Difference between revisions

| colorimage = Modern = BlueCharlie.png

| name = Charlie the Tuna

| creator = Tom Rogers

| first = 1961

| voice = [[Herschel Bernardi]]<br>[[Tex Brashear]]<br>Ron Hawking<br>[[Jeff Bergman]]

| species = [[Tuna]]

| occupation = [[Mascot]] of [[StarKist]]

| gender = [[Male]]

|}}

'''Charlie the Tuna''' is the cartoon mascot and spokes-[[tuna]] for the [[StarKist Tuna|StarKist]] brand. He was created in 1961 by Tom Rogers<ref name="Holley"/> of the [[Leo Burnett Agency]].<ref>[http://starkist.com/charlie/all-about-charlie All About Charlie] StarKist. Accessed 13 November 13, 2016.</ref> StarKist Tuna is currently owned by [[Dongwon Industries]], a [[South Korea]]-{{En dash}}based [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]].<ref>[http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=30059 Del Monte wraps up sale of StarKist], [[fis.com]], 8 October 8, 2008.</ref> Charlie is one of the most recognized characters in American advertising.<ref name="Adweek"/>

The advertisements depicted Charlie (voiced by actor [[Herschel Bernardi]]) as a [[BeatnikHipster (contemporary subculture)|hipster]], originally a lower class New York accented [[beatnik]] wearing a [[beret]] and thick glasses who believes that his hip, cultured "good taste" make him a perfect catch for StarKist., Butbut he is always rejected. Announcer [[Danny Dark]] explains to him "Sorry, Charlie!"{{refn|1=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/business/media/stirring-memories-of-commercials-past.html}} Some advertisements ended with Charlie encouraging viewers to "Tell 'em, Charlie sent you". Earlier advertisements would have some other form of sea life saying "But Charlie, StarKist does not want tunas with good taste; they want tunas that taste good." These commercials were animated by [[DePatie-Freleng Enterprises]].<ref>Interview with David Depatie; extra feature on the ''Here Comes The Grump'' box set</ref> "Sorry, Charlie" became a popular American [[catchphrase]].<ref name="WSJ"/>

The Charlie character appeared in more than 85 advertisements for StarKist until the 1980s, when the campaign was retired. (Herschel Bernardi, the original voice of the character, died on May 9, 1986.)<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0076453/ Hershel Bernardi profile] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]</ref> Charlie made a comeback in 1999, when StarKist revived him to introduce a new line of tuna products marketed as healthy.<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Michael |title=Charlie the Tuna Returns to Ads And More Corporate Rejection |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB879703843391593500 |accessdate=8 December 8, 2019 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=17 November 17, 1997}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/news/9905/21/charlie.tuna/|title=Fish out of water: 'Charlie the Tuna' returns to TV|website=www.cnn.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214819/http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/news/9905/21/charlie.tuna/|archive-date=3 March 3, 2016|date=21 May 21, 1999}}</ref> He has been the mascot of the company since then and is one of the most-recognized brand mascots in American advertising.<ref name=Adweek>{{cite news |last1=Klara |first1=Robert |title=How Charlie the Tuna Became One of the Best-Known Brand Mascots in American History |url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/how-charlie-the-tuna-became-one-of-the-best-known-brand-mascots-in-american-history/ |accessdate=8 December 8, 2019 |work=Adweek |date=16 August 16, 2019}}</ref>

Dark died on June 13, 2004., while Rogers died on June 24, 2005.<ref name="Holley">{{cite news |last1=Holley |first1=Joe |title=Charlie the Tuna Creator Tom Rogers Dies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070702136_pf.html |worknewspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=8 December 8, 2019|date=8 July 8, 2005}}</ref>

Los Angeles radio personality and voiceover artist [[Charlie Tuna]] (real name: Art Ferguson) chose his on-air name early in his career upon the departure of another [[Oklahoma City]] disc jockey.{{fact|date=December 2024}} All disc jockeys at KOMA were told to draw their on-air names out of a hat, and by the time [[Chuck Riley (voice actor)|Chuck Riley]] picked his on-air name out of a hat, every name had been drawn except for "Charlie Tuna". Riley used the name for a week, and then left. His replacement, Art Ferguson, inherited the name, and he would keep the Charlie Tuna name upon relocating first to Boston and then Los Angeles.{{fact|date=December 2024}}