Why Quiznos Resurrected the Spongmonkeys, Advertising’s Most Divisive Mascot

As it expands nationwide, the fast-food chain revived a character that was loved and hated in equal measure

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They’ve been called “gerbils with birth defects,” “Mr. Potato Rats,” “hell lemurs” and “the weirdest corporate mascot of all time.” Since appearing in ads for Quiznos in 2004, Spongmonkeys have divided customers. While the characters were meme-worthy, there were also reports that they made some children cry. 

Quiznos’ former agency partner The Martin Agency was behind the Spongmonkey campaign, but British animator Joel Veitch birthed the bizarre creatures before they became a brand mascot. As Veitch tells it, a night at the pub inspired him to write a song about the moon, which led to him animating strange, bug-eyed furry animals that belted out the tune. 

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