Lorain Telephone Company Ad – Nov. 13, 1956

Here's an ad that hearkens back to the days when utility companies used advertising mascots to pass along important information to their customers. It helped put a friendly face on what were otherwise soulless corporations.

The above ad, which ran in the Lorain Journal on November 13, 1956, provided a handy tip to help its customers remember their new, longer telephone numbers.

Our telephone 3-digit prefix back then was AVenue 2 (282).

It sure was nice to able to tell just by recognizing a local telephone prefix where someone lived or a business was located. Nowadays – with landlines rapidly losing favor – a cell phone prefix can be associated with any location. They're harder to remember too.

The earliest appearance of the phone mascot so far that I can find has been from a December 1951 ad in the Lorain Sunday News. Our friend here has no arms, and is decked out in Scottish regalia – no doubt trying to appear "thrifty."

Here he is in a Feb. 1952 Lorain Sunday News ad. It must have been a frosty day.

By 1956, he had sprouted arms (so he could dial himself?) and legs.

And by 1961, he had been redesigned (below) to be a little cuter.

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UPDATE (Dec. 4, 2017)

Here's another sighting of our phoney pal, from a June 21, 1955 ad in the Lorain Journal. The artwork was very small so it looks a little grubby when scanned and enlarged.