With today being the official start of spring, I thought it would be only be fitting to talk about BUNNIES. Although, with the harsh winter temperatures we are still experiencing, I am not sure we will be seeing baby rabbits anytime soon, but they are certainly on the horizon to come!
Rabbits have long been a staple in graphic design (as logos and mascots) and in illustration because they provide an almost endless supply of imaginative possibilities. With their big ears and animated qualities, rabbits are a fun animal to experiment with graphically. They can be stylized, iconographic, impressionistic, expressionistic, surrealistic, large or small. You can even typographically simulate a rabbit from an upside down “R.”
In addition to being fun to create, rabbits are also symbolic. Some symbolic rabbit meanings include abundance, comfort, vulnerability, sentiment and even fertility. The rabbit is a perfect symbol for spring which is abundant with themes for new life, new beginnings, growth.
The most prominent portrayal of a rabbit in today’s society is the Easter Bunny. Originated by German Lutherans, the Easter Hare was the evaluator of whether children were good, and it would dispense the appropriate rewards from its Easter basket. Over time, the image of the rabbit evolved from brown to its now white hue that we all associate with Easter.
There are more cottontails in today’s popular society than you might think. There’s Jessica Rabbit, Rabbit in Whinnie-The-Pooh; The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland; and Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail in Peter Rabbit. Trix cereal boxes feature a rabbit. Bugs Bunny has been featured in dozens of comercials for everything from Kool-Aid to School Safety to Air Jordans and Ziplock storage bags, and the Cadbury Bunny is a nostalgic tradition in commerials for Easter chocolate. The rabbit’s foot is considered lucky and there was even a Volkswagon Rabbit car model that was popular in the 70’s. But the two biggest rabbits next to the Easter Bunny are the Energizer Bunny and the Playboy Bunny.
The Energizer Bunny
The Energizer Bunny is the marketing icon and mascot of Energizer Batteries in North America. Twenty years after he debuted in October, 1989, the Energizer Bunny — a pink, plush rabbit with a penchant for playing a drum — has gone from advertising gimmick to legitimate pop culture player. “The Bunny has become the ultimate symbol of longevity, perseverance and determination,” says Mark Larsen, communications category manager for Energizer. During the past decade, everyone from politicians to sport stars used the Energizer Bunny to describe their staying power.
The Bunny’s incarnation by Chiat/Day was actually a continuation of an idea developed by DDB Needham Worldwide for Energizer, with a spot that featured drumming pink bunnies in a jab at their arch rival Duracell’s battery-powered toys. Chiat/Day, after gaining the account, took the bunny to the next level when it launched a series of commercials that parodied spots for other products and were interrupted by the powerful pink Bunny – going and going and going.
The Playboy Bunny
Originally created in 1953 by Art Paul, Playboy magazine’s first art director, in about thirty minutes, the bunny logo of Playboy has become one of the greatest and most influential motifs in the history of graphic design, advertising and pop culture. It was chosen to be the Playboy logo because Hugh Hefner, the founder of the magazine, believed it personified a certain “playfulness” that suited the adult publication. Hefner once told a journalist: “I selected a rabbit as the symbol for the magazine because of the humorous sexual connotation, and because he offered an image that was frisky and playful. I put him in a tuxedo to add the idea of sophistication. There was another editorial consideration, too. Since both ‘The New Yorker’ and ‘Esquire’ use men as their symbols, I felt the rabbit would be distinctive; and the notion of a rabbit dressed up in formal evening attire struck me as charming, amusing and right.”
A clever marketing strategy has transformed the rabbit head from a dopey adolescent idea to an instantly recognizable symbol of sophistication, pride and style. The classic Playboy logo depicting the bow-tie-wearing black bunny now turns up on every magazine cover, appearing in all sorts of variations and disguises.
Both the Playboy Bunny and the Energizer Bunny are evidence that rabbits are here to stay. With their rich symbolism and appealing nature they have earned their respective place in graphic history.
~ Bethany Howell, art director
