The Retroist

The Retroist

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
What is the name of the Pringles Mascot?
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
User's avatar
Discover more from The Retroist
A Retro Podcast, Blog, and Newsletter.
Over 3,000 subscribers
Already have an account? Sign in

What is the name of the Pringles Mascot?

Retroist's avatar
Retroist
Nov 10, 2019

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
What is the name of the Pringles Mascot?
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

When I was a kid, my family discovered a love of Pringles. They replaced some of our other favorite chips and pretzels for a good amount of time.

While consuming mass quantities and staring at the beautiful red tube they came in, I remember asking my sister, “What is the name of this guy on the can?”

Without hesitation, my sister responds, “Uncle Mustache.”

So for the majority of my life, I thought that was his name. I would find out much later that the name of this mustachioed potato spokes-character was actually, Mr. P or Julius Pringles.

Uncle Mustache was Julius Pringles!?

Shocking I know, but of course, it makes a lot more sense to be named after the product you represent, rather than your facial hair. When I told my sister that I found out his real name, she thought it was VERY funny that she had been able to hoodwink me for decades. I got to admit, it was impressive.

Pringles got their start in Procter & Gamble in the mid-fifties, when chemist Fredric J. Bauer was tasked with creating a new type of chip. One that would not be greasy or break easily.

Using fried dough, Baur was able to create the saddle-shaped creation that we would eventually call a Pringle. He even developed the can they would come in. Unfortunately, this version of the chip just didn’t taste good.

It wasn’t until the mid-sixties that another person at Procter & Gamble, Alexander Liepe was able to improve the taste. At that point, they had a marketable product and Julius Pringles was born.

But don’t call Pringles, potato chips. They are potato crisps. A distinction that has kept them away from lawsuits from chip makers for decades.

The product was originally known as Pringles Newfangled Potato Chips, but other snack manufacturers objected, saying Pringles failed to meet the definition of a potato “chip” since they were made from a potato-based dough rather than being sliced from potatoes like “real” potato chips. The US Food and Drug Administration weighed in on the matter, and in 1975, they ruled Pringles could only use the word “chip” in their product name within the following phrase: “potato chips made from dried potatoes”. Faced with such a lengthy and unpalatable appellation, Pringles eventually opted to rename their product potato “crisps”, instead of chips.

Wikipedia

Designed in 1967, Julius Pringles first appeared on his distinctive can in 1968 when Pringles hit stores. While he shares some characteristics with modern Julius, there are marked differences. He had rosy cheeks, darker hair, and a bow tie that said Pringles on it.

That version would survive for almost 20 years. Then in 1986, a new Julius appeared. He now had a mouth and eyebrows. Ten years later, the mouth and rosy cheeks would disappear, then in 2002, we got a Julius that looks similar to the one on cans today. No mouth, no eyebrows, no rosy cheeks.

Just all hair, eyes, and mustache staring off into a Pringle-filled horizon.


Subscribe to The Retroist

Launched 4 years ago
A Retro Podcast, Blog, and Newsletter.

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
What is the name of the Pringles Mascot?
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Share

Discussion about this post

User's avatar
The Mystery Of The Red Quarters…Solved!
Did you ever find a quarter painted red and wonder if that red served a purpose? It does.
Feb 11, 2017 • 
Retroist
45

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
The Mystery Of The Red Quarters…Solved!
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
6
Remember when Mickey Mouse decided to commit suicide?
Unless you lived in the 1930s or are a fan of vintage comic strips you might not be aware of the attempted Mickey Mouse suicide.
Aug 30, 2017 • 
Retroist
9

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
Remember when Mickey Mouse decided to commit suicide?
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
Monkey’s Blood (Mercurochrome) for those boo-boos
Remember when you were a kid, and you would were out roughhousing with your friends.
Oct 23, 2019 • 
Retroist
4

Share this post

The Retroist
The Retroist
Monkey’s Blood (Mercurochrome) for those boo-boos
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
2

Ready for more?

© 2025 Retroist
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

Create your profile

User's avatar

Only paid subscribers can comment on this post

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in

Check your email

For your security, we need to re-authenticate you.

Click the link we sent to , or click here to sign in.