• by Dacia Ray , August 5, 2004

You weren't mistaken if you saw the likes of Mr. Peanut, Tony the Tiger, and the Jolly Green Giant walking around City Hall in New York City on Thursday. The parade of icons was part of the activities leading up to next month's Advertising Week celebration.

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch turned out to announce the nominations for America's favorite ad icon and ad slogan. Online voting will determine which icon, and which ad slogan, are America's favorites. Online voting is now open on Yahoo! here.

After the nominations were announced, the parade of icons, from the Wise Owl to Miss Chiquita, greeted potential voters and stopped to have lunch at the Carnegie Deli.

Twenty-six icons are included in the poll, and viewers can vote for both their favorite icon and their favorite slogan via the Web site. The winners will be announced at the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame induction ceremony on the opening day of New York City's Advertising Week on September 20. The icons will also participate in a procession from Times Square up Madison Avenue.

Slogans in the poll run the gamut, from standards like Virginia Slims "You've come a long way baby" to Budweiser's relatively new "Wassup?!" to the U.S. Army's tried and true "Be all you can be."

The winners will be immortalized on the Madison Avenue Walk of Fame the morning of the ceremonies.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) has spearheaded Advertising Week in New York City to honor the economic and social impact of the advertising industry. Advertising Week takes place Sept. 20-24, 2004. Among the week's planned activities are public advertising exhibits in Grand Central Station, panels and seminars, entertainment and awards events, the AAAA Creative Conference (Sept. 23-24), and the Interactive Advertising World Conference & Expo (Sept. 20-21).