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The Energizer Bunny by Cheryl M. Keyser
That first year's commercials featuring the pink bunny were produced by the well-known advertising firm, DDB Needham WorldWide. It promoted the Energizer battery as strong enough to outlast all other batteries. But, life did not come that easily to the new bunny on the block. In fact, he had to deal with a couple of legal challenges - not a great way to start a career. The problem was that he was a sort of a "take off" on another bunny (you know how they proliferate), Duracell's "Drumming Bunny," which made its first commercial appearance in 1973. Duracell didn't want any bunny competition, especially one that might lead to confusion on the part of potential customers. So the two companies headed to the courtroom. Duracell challenged the right of Energizer to use a similar rabbit representative. But, legal minds found that Duracell's trademark for its bunny had lapsed and Energizer won its case. Duracell, however, did not give up. It returned to the legal fray again in 1990. This time a territorial arrangement was reached. Energizer received the exclusive rights to use the bunny symbol in the United States and Canada and Duracell got the rest of the world. (That's called splitting hares!)
The first commercial in which the Energizer Bunny appeared was broadcast in 1988. It promoted that their bunny had a battery that lasted longer than others used in mechanical toys - and other related products. Nor was this bunny a static figure. The pink drummer appeared in a variety of commercials in a unique way. He would wander into someone else's commercial, some of them clearly made-up products, walking through a scene to emphasize the company slogan that he's "still going." Since that initial appearance, he has appeared in more than 115 T.V. commercials. At first the bunny's appearance was produced by All Effects, a company that specialized in producing special effects for a variety of clients. Later other companies expanded on that base. Some of the ads featured challenges to the durability of the bunny, such as a face off with Darth Vader, showing his nemesis running out of power while his Energizer batteries allowed him to continue to battle. One unexpected outcome of the Energizer Bunny is that he has entered into the national lexicon and applied to anything that seems to imply perpetual motion. President G.W. Bush was known for comparing his stamina to that of the iconic bunny. And the pink bunny even made its way into a song on the "Rosanne" T.V. show: "We're going to last longer than that greatest wall in China, or the rabbit with the drum." As a corporate sponsor of Disneyland, Energizer also featured the bunny in advertisements promoting it. By 2011, the bunny had reached new heights appearing as a balloon in several of Macy's Thanksgiving Parades. Is he still going strong? If the variety of items featured on major on-line bidding sites is any indication, he is still running ahead of all competitors. Both Energizer and Duracell bunnies are available on websites such as E-Bay, Etsy and WorthPoint, although there seem to be more of the Energizer one. The Energizer Bunny items are more standard, such as a pen, keychain, or backpack, while the Duracell ones are directed to a more active bunny dressed as a fireman, football player, kayaker, or racer. Prices are all over the map, from a low of a $1.00 for a toy light, to $150 for a T-Shirt, which may indicate that buying items in good condition now may mean a larger gain down the road. Also, depending on the item, some may be pre-owned, in their original bag or brand new. |
Also
considered in the case was a comparison between apples and carrots
(pardon). Duracell used a carbon zinc battery while Energizer was
based on alkaline. Duracell exploited this difference to maintain that
its batteries were longer-lasting. And in a way that's true as the
lawsuits just keep going on and on. The two companies faced off again
in 2016.