Here's some crazy news: Big Boy restaurants are swapping out their iconic mascot "Bob" for a little blonde girl named "Dolly." She is an obscure sidekick-type character from the "Adventures of Big Boy" comic book. The "Big Boy" will remain in the name though.
The company told a Michigan TV station:
"We are rolling out a brand-new chicken sandwich. We're calling it the best cluckin' chicken sandwich around and Dolly, who has been with Big Boys since the 1950 as far as we can go back with our comic books, We decided that she's going to be the star of this sandwich as Big Boy was the star of his double decker sandwich…
It is Dolly's time to shine now with our chicken sandwich. So, she's taken the forefront right now. She's in charge. The name will always be Big Boy but as far as the logo, she's leading the charge and we'll see when he comes back if he does."
Something seems off here. Ditch your 90-year-old namesake mascot for a secondary character? Doubtful. I suspect Big Boy's is taking a page from the IHOP playbook. Make a big — but ultimately a temporary change — to get some media attention. Oh darnit, it worked.
photo by Rusty Blazenhoff
(People)
