By 1955, 67% of American homes had television sets, making Scotty's popularity grow more and more. By 1960, Scotty McTape was a household name.
"Scotty was a great guy! He knew how to seal and mend, and it was true, he would be your very best friend..." [interview with the Krispies brothers; Snap, Crackle, and Pop]
Scotty's cheerful advertising techniques helped to sell Scotch Tape to housewives for sewing, children for homework, and dads for the office!
But soon the limelight became too much for our friend-in-plaid; Scotty began hanging out with the wrong crowd.
"We used to have so much fun together! We taught each other so much, and even when our ads hit the big time, Scotty was always the glue...er, tape that held us together!" [interview with Bert S. Cross; CEO of Scotch Tape 1966-1970]
As Scotty's fame grew, so did his addictions. Scotty started hanging out with other mascots. He would do lines with the Ajax Pixies, smoking cigarettes with Willie the Kool Penguin, and lifting-up the town with the Frito Bandito.
By 1974, Scotty McTape's advertising was no longer able to uphold the same ratings. Scotch Tape tossed their once-loved mascot like a torn music sheet, unable to play again. So what has become of our cheerful, Scottish friend? Scotty's moved back to his homeland of Scotland where he lives on a quiet farm with his scotty-dog, Max. He mends to himself now, but if you listen carefully in the foggy, quiet morns deep in the hills of Scotland, you can still hear him singing his jingle: "The tape with the plaid is the best to be had so stick with Scotch, my friend!"
*Scotch is a registered trademark of 3M. © 3M 2011. All rights reserved.
