Duracell Bunnies vs Energizer Bunnies

Think of that pink bunny rabbit with a battery in it on tv adverts. Which brand is it for?

I suspect that the answer you have given depends on which side of the pond you were born on. Duracell, a British company, launched its campaign in the 1973 with its bunnies depicted as running for longer than any of the unnamed competitors. The campaign was successful with both the home market and in Australia. Over time the Duracell Bunny became the mascot of the company. Here's what it looks like:

Then in 1989 the American company Energizer realised that the Duracell company had made a mistake: they hadn't renewed their trademark on the bunny. Energizer launched a parody ad in the style of Duracell and featuring their own rabbit. Here’s the original advert:

The campaign was successful in the US and while there was a brief period in the early 90s where the Energizer Bunny was used as an attack against their competitor Duracell, eventually the bunny just became the mascot of Energizer in its own right. In the American market it is just a known symbol, but not for its original company.

The rabbits are slightly different. The Energizer Bunny was a single character known for playing a drum. It also wore sunglasses. In contrast Duracell Bunnies appear to be an entire race, often shown running although they occasionally engage in other activities. In fact they were the first to beat a drum with a range of toys in the late 80s that were fairly successful.

Last year Energizer filed a lawsuit against Duracell for using the pink rabbit in an advert on a US station. I'll remind you that it was Duracell that came up with the logo. I feel strangely protective of the British Multinational.