For A Brief, Glorious Time, McDonald's Filet-O-Fish Had A Mascot

Since launching in 1940, McDonald's has had several short-lived, discontinued menu items, including a chopped beefsteak sandwich, the Arch Deluxe, Fish McBites, and Chicken Selects. While these items have come and gone seemingly in the blink of an eye, the famous fast food chain's Filet-O-Fish sandwich has been a consistent McDonald's menu item since its debut in 1965. Most people are familiar with the iconic sandwich that features a fillet of fried Alaskan Pollock, American cheese, and tartar sauce. However, there's a good chance that not many people are acquainted with the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish mascot, aptly named Phil A. O'Fish.

Indeed, Phil A. O'Fish was a cartoon fish that told customers in a 1976 McDonald's advertisement, "For a surprisingly good taste, try Filet-O-Fish." Why a fish would urge people to eat its own species is a mystery, perhaps overlooked by the advertising team. Regardless, the fish mascot is quite cute dressed in a sailor outfit befitting the times and holding a fishing net; it's easy to see why someone might think Phil would be appealable to kids and adults alike. Nevertheless, his time as the fish sandwich mascot was short-lived, surviving just about one year until the marketing group moved on to more basic advertisements that highlighted ingredient quality. If reading about Mr. O'Fish has you hankering for a fish sandwich, do yourself a favor and try this simple tip to get a fresh Filet-O-Fish every time at McDonald's. 

Ads featuring Phil A. O'Fish are limited, however, one advertisement from March 2, 1976 features Phil selling Filet-O-Fish for 45 cents. It also advertises a free bumper sticker of the cartoon fish with the purchase of the sandwich. Another ad promotes a Phil A. O'Fish drawing that could be colored and redeemed for a free order of French fries. Presumably, people must not have been responding too well to Phil since the mascot was no longer seen in advertisements by 1977.

Another Filet-O-Fish McDonald's character you may or may not be familiar with is Captain Crook, a pirate in the McDonaldland gang alongside Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and the rest. While the Hamburglar stole hamburgers, Captain Crook, being a sea pirate, stole Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. The Captain Crook Sea Bag, consisting of a Filet-O-Fish, fries, and McDonaldland cookies, was featured on the menu in 1975. The kid-friendly meal predated McDonald's Happy Meals, which were introduced in 1979.

Regarding more recent Filet-O-Fish advertising, one of the more well-known McDonald's ads of the 21st century is the "Give me back that Filet-O-Fish" commercial from 2009. In case you forgot or were too young to remember, the ad features a bass wall decoration singing a very infectious tune while a man sits nearby eating a Filet-O-Fish. People loved the ad so much that McDonald's sold toy replicas of the singing fish in stores.