Pillsbury Doughboy

Fresh was thought up by the Leo Burnett advertising agency's copywriter, Rudy Perz, as he was sitting in his kitchen in 1965, under pressure to create an advertising campaign. Perz imagined a living dough boy popping out of a Pillsbury Crescent Rolls can. To distinguish the dough boy from the rolls he gave it a scarf, a chef's hat, two big blue eyes, a blush when girls kissed him, and a soft, warm chuckle when poked in the stomach.

Perz originally conceived Fresh as an animated figure, but changed his mind after seeing a stop-action titling technique used in the opening credits for The Dinah Shore Show. A 3-D Doughboy doll of clay was then created at a cost of $16. Paul Frees (the voice of Rocky and Bullwinkle's Boris Badenov) was chosen to be Fresh's voice. Since then, Pillsbury has used Poppin' Fresh in more than 600 commercials for more than 50 of its products.

After Frees' death in 1986, Jeff Bergman, (who also did the voice-over for Charlie the Tuna), took over. Today, the high-pitched giggles are done by JoBe Cerny, the on-camera star of Burnett's Cheer detergent ad campaign.

[reprinted from Wikipedia.org]

Giggle Now

Click on the picture and it will take you to our site where you can play this little game. Just move the finger to press his tummy and...you know the rest...WARNING... this one does more than giggle!

Run over to Zazzle and build your very own personalized doughboy shirt. They have bunches of Dougboy images to choose from, then pick the style of shirt you want and then personalize with your name! If they have my name (Darcy) ... then ya know they more than likely have yours.

Build One Now

Dear Friends:

It is with the saddest heart that I have to pass on the following.

Please join me in remembering a great icon.

Veteran Pillsbury spokesperson, The Pillsbury Doughboy, died yesterday of a severe yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes to the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a slightly greased coffin.

Dozens of celebrities turned out, including Mrs. Butterworth, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, Captain Crunch, and many others.

The graveside was piled high with flours as longtime friend, Aunt Jemima, delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who "never knew how much he was kneaded."

Doughboy rose quickly in show business but his later life was filled with many turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he even still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. Toward the end it was thought he'd rise once again, but he was no tart.

Doughboy is survived by his second wife, Play Dough.

They have two children and one in the oven.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

clock May 6, 2006 12:35 am US/Eastern
Pillsbury Doughboy Is Kidnapped

(CBS4 News) A Pillsbury doughboy was kidnapped from his home: The Market Basket supermarket in Plaistow, New Hampshire. And it seems the only thing his kidnappers want for him is a steady home.

To make matters more disturbing, since his disappearance, the store has been receiving ransom letters and photos of the doughboy through mail. In some pictures it seems he's having more of a good time than suffering at the hands of any kidnappers. The 4-foot tall man made of Styrofoam has been on an interstate carbohydrate binge, taking a ride at Canobie Lake in Salem, enjoying Hampton Beach and going to local burger joints for a bite to eat.

Employees at the supermarket fear that the pudgy lump of giggly goodness might be looking for a new home as the Market Basket, located in this Southeastern New Hampshire town, will be closing in nine months to make room for new development.

The last letter was received by the store manager this Thursday, but most threatening is the demand made on one particular letter. It read, "If you close the store, the Pillsbury Doughboy will be baked.%uFFFD

So far there have been no demands for dough in the ransom letters.

Managers at the store urge the public to keep an eye out for him to aid in his safe return home.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

UPDATE: Doughboy Found!
Read all about it and his journey

See the CBS newsclip about this story

Pillsbury Doughboy Checks from Artistic Checks

Sweeten your checkbook with the delightful smile and popular poses of Pillsbury Doughboy. This series includes checks, address labels, a personal card and a matching leather checkbook cover. Checks are available in one-part and duplicate check formats.

November 7 1965, in a flour and vegetable daze, some ad company exec (as previously noted the ad company referred to here is the Leo Burnett Agency) came up with the idea of selling ready-to-bake buns to the Mothers of America by humoring them with this animated creature, lovingly called "Poppin' Fresh". His name has evolved to "Doughboy" to create an even friendlier facade, gently encouraging the masses to give up fresh home-baked goods in the time-saving and late 60's liberating movement of ready-to-eat foods. (It is worthwhile to note that a couple of years later the first McDonald's Restaurant opened as a full-scale fast food outlet.) This tradition of "instant fresh baked goods" has prospered so well for the Pillsbury Company that they state more than 80% of all American's (and most Canadians as well as a large international citizenship) identify with the Doughboy and the products that he fronts for

According to the Pillsbury Corporation, the Doughboy is 8 3/4 inches tall, including his hat... and weighs 14 ounces. The Doughboy was originally voiced by actor Paul Frees... "Doughboy" was a slang term for American soldiers during World War I.

His formal name is Poppin' Fresh, the only music he ever performed was rap, he is all dough, he has blue eyes, he always wears a bakers hat and scarf, he originates from Minneapolis, MN, he loves to bake and twenty years ago he had a wife and two pets.

The name of the artist who actually first drew Poppin' Fresh (the Pillsbury Doughboy) was Martin Nodell. Nodell was working for the ad agency at the time, and he is the one who actually conceived of Poppin' Fresh and drew him. Mart Nodell is well known in the comic book world as the creator of the original Green Lantern

No true Doughboy fan is without their very own Giggling Doughboy. If you don't have yours yet just click on this lil' fellas tummy and you can can get yours today!

Doughboy Giggle Figure

In the 1970s Pillsbury also introduced Mrs. Poppin' Fresh (a.k.a. "Poppy") who wore a bonnet. Poppin' Fresh and Poppy were both rubber dolls and their apparent motion was produced through stop-action photography. A toy line of dough boy products were marketed including: Flapjack, a dog; Popper, a little boy; Poppie Fresh, a little girl; Biscuit, a cat; Bun Bun, a baby; and Granmommer and Granpopper, Poppin Fresh's parents.

The Pillsbury Doughboy toy became so popular, Playthings Magazine named it "Toy of the Year" in 1972

PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY AIRWEAR

Making a 3-D claymation Doughboy costs a whopping $16,000. See picture of actual original Pillsbury Doughboy stainless steel armature (insides) and one head (there was a head for each expression).

The voice over talent of Doughboy, actor Paul Frees, also did the voice for Boris Badenov of The Adventures of Bullwinkle and Rocky.

Doughboy was created almost 100 years after the Pillsbury coporation was founded in 1869.

Today, Poppin' Fresh's high-pitched giggles are handled by actor JoBe Cerny.