How will Japan react to this update on a classic marketing mascot?

Are you a fan of Julius Pringles?

Ah, my apologies. You may know him as his more casual name, “Mr. P”, or maybe something even blunter like “the Pringles guy”. His mustachioed face is printed on the packaging of every tube of Pringles across the world—although it’s looking decidedly more minimalist nowadays, due to a brand rehaul in 2020.

https://twitter.com/womanteria/status/1397206241815015436

With the redesign not having reached Japan, those who buy their potato chips in in the country have yet to be greeted by the simplified black-mustached Pringles Ojisan (Mr. Pringles), but that’s set to change. The in-Japan changeover will be happening on August 9, with new packaging provided for the three local staple flavors: Umashio (Tasty Salt), Sour Cream and Onion, and CHEEEEEESE (four kinds of cheese).

▼ The new lineup of Pringles containers in fashionable stoplight colors: red, green, and yellow.

The 2020 redesign is the first that Mr. Pringles—or Julius, or however you wish to address him—has received in 20 years.

Previous iterations showed the potato chip icon depicted with a mouth, a full head of hair, and even a coquettish blush. Now what little dimension was left in his mustache and eyes has been removed to give the design even more of a minimalistic slant.

The company was quick to assure everyone in their press release that this won’t come at the cost of his charm. In fact, they’ve already drawn up plenty of examples of how expressive Mr. Pringles can be in this new state. His re-instated eyebrows are responsible for a whole host of reactions, although we wonder just how many of those he’ll get to express from his perch atop the Pringles logo.

As with any brand shake-up, people immediately took to social media to make their thoughts on this new version of the Pringles guy.

“I (selfishly) hope that they make a version of Mr. Pringles where he looks like 🥺”
“They took away all his hair and just left his mustache…”
“Mr. Julius Pringles just keeps getting cuter and cuter.”

With plenty of fun Japan-exclusive flavors available, as well as tons of interesting team-ups with other food companies, we’re certain that Pringles will continue to pop off the shelves no matter how much hair its mascot sports.

Source: PR Times via Narinari.com, Twitter
Images: PR Times
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