Bank mascots had their day. The latest to step down is the BMO Harris lion.

February 21, 2023 5:36 PM

"Who's the banker behind that furry oversized head?"

It's a question from a largely bygone era, when grown adults would dress as friendly animals or fuzzy corporate logos. They attended branch openings, baseball games and community gatherings alongside lifelong clients and potential customers.

There were Billy Buck, the giant dollar bill from Bruceton Bank in West Virginia, and Bunny Bucks from First National Bank in Iowa City. Household Bank in Chicago had Banker Bear, while CenterState Bank in Florida had a couple of pigs named Penny and Benny.

In an age where corporate branding is ruled by graphic artists, the days of plush banking mascots are slowly coming to an end. One by one, they are cheering, waving and dancing their way into retirement. Like many retired Americans, several are said to have moved to Florida and taken up golf or tennis.

The latest mascot to join them is Hubert the Lion from BMO Harris Bank. Following Bank of Montreal's acquisition of Bank of the West, Chicago-based BMO is dropping the "Harris" name that it took from its 1984 acquisition of Harris Bank. Hubert is also being retired.

As Hubert rides off into the sunset, here's a look back at some banking mascots of the past.

Courtesy of BMO

Hubert the Lion

BMO Harris Bank

Hubert joined what later became BMO Harris when Norman Wait Harris adopted a lion as part of Harris Bank's corporate imagery in 1911, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The gentle-looking lion with a black mane and grandpa glasses rose in popularity when he appeared in a series of television commercials in the 1960s and 1970s. As part of the bank's "You should have a Hubert doll" campaign in 1976, he was shown reading a book with child actor Gary Coleman.

Hubert has engaged with customers as a plush toy, a button and a cookie jar. He's made appearances at Milwaukee Bucks games and floated down Chicago's Magnificent Mile as a giant parade balloon.

But after BMO closed its acquisition of Bank of the West, opening new markets in California for the Canadian bank, BMO announced that it would simplify its branding by dropping the "Harris" name, along with Hubert the Lion.

"BMO has an opportunity to simplify and unify its brand to best reflect the way our customers refer to us today," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

"As for Hubert," the spokesperson said, "he spends most of his time golfing in Florida these days" through a retirement plan made possible by a BMO financial advisor.

Courtesy of the State College Spikes

Nookie Monster

Nittany Bank

Nittany Bank's Nookie Monster suffered a similar fate, with a career in banking ended following a series of mergers and acquisitions.

The furry, wide-eyed and blue monster was a community fixture until a wave of bank consolidations reached State College, Pennsylvania. As local banking went national, Nookie's job became outdated. Nittany Bank was purchased in 2006 by National Penn Bancshares, which was bought by BB&T a decade later. Then in 2019, BB&T merged with SunTrust Banks to become Truist Financial.

But lucky for Nookie, he found new employment as a mascot for the State College Spikes, a Class-A minor league baseball team.

"Nookie Monster still comes out of the nook whenever the State College Spikes score a run," said Joe Putnam, a spokesperson for the team.

Courtesy of JPMorgan Chase

Chase the Dog

Chase Manhattan

Chase the Dog helped to create what's become the nation's largest bank.

Chase was a goofy canine with floppy ears and a wide smile, according to Thomas Kelly, a vice president who's worked at JPMorgan for 23 years and "fondly remembers the days of the blue dog." While the mascot predated the merger in 2000 between JPMorgan and Chase Manhattan, his heyday was spent mostly in the Midwest following the bank's 2004 acquisition of Bank One Corp. in Chicago.

Chase was a costume that made appearances at the occasional branch opening or employee event, Kelly said. And like most dogs, Chase could get a little smelly, Kelly added.

For whoever brought Chase to life next, a bottle of Febreze was supposed to be kept nearby.

"After a while, it was necessary," Kelly said. "But every dog has its day, and those days have been over for a while."

Jack the Dog

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo once had a dog mascot as well.

It started at San Francisco's Midwinter Fair in 1894, well before the bank's modern branding of a horse-drawn carriage.

Jack the Dog, who looked to be a boxer puppy, was placed on top of a treasury box assuming the job of customer security. Jack became "a reminder of all of Wells Fargo's faithful companion canines," according to an article published by the bank's archives.

He was later joined by Boozer, who stumbled into the bank's Polk Street Depot in Chicago with a broken leg around 1910, and joined the company's messengers on trains from coast to coast.

There also was Teddy, a stray poodle who won official employment after helping to foil a burglary at a Wells Fargo office in San Mateo, California.

Becky Badger

Park Bank

Becky Badger had a short but endearing career at Park Bank in Wisconsin before the bank was sold to First Midwest Bancorp in 2020. First Midwest was bought by Old National Bancorp last year.

Becky rose to prominence at University of Wisconsin football games during the 1970s and 1980s, as a companion to the school's still-active Bucky Badger mascot, according to the University of Wisconsin archives. Some say Becky was Bucky's girlfriend, while others claim she was his sister.

At football games, Becky would enter the crowd of students to promote financial services. The Wisconsin Alumni Association and the National W Club once included Becky at an official tailgate party. Park Bank would also hand out Becky dolls and toys to clients when they opened new accounts.

But as the years went on, Becky disappeared from football games and corporate promotions.

Captain Shield

U.S. Bank

Not all heroes wear capes. But at the banking subsidiary of Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, Captain Shield did.

The friendly neighborhood super banker served as U.S. Bank's longtime point person to engage potential and existing customers in the community.

Dressed as a puffy red shield with a blue cape and cheesy grin, Captain Shield made appearances at corporate events, played in hockey games and glowed with an outlining of lights during the holiday season. At one cross-promotion event, Captain Shield teamed up with Miles, a mascot for the NFL's Denver Broncos.

Similar to other banking mascots, Captain Shield's service to U.S. Bank declined over the years, and he was eventually retired.