We all know him, but where did Mr. Clean come from?

As one of the longest running brands in history, one might think Mr. Clean has just always been a figure of cleanliness for customers around the world, but no one ever took the time to really think about where this brand character came from until last year. Mr. Clean's creators at Procter and Gamble ran a campaign showcasing where "America's Favorite Cleaning Man'' really came from.

Mr. Clean's Past

 The video shows a timeline of Mr. Clean's life, starting as a baby that was orphaned in a basket and cleaning the front porch on which he was left. From there, Mr. Clean was raised in a country setting until he wanted to learn more about cleaning and set off for college and finally to study with monks to learn everything he could about his hobby. From there, Mr. Clean set out to live a life of cleaning the dirty world and teaching those around him what he knew about being cleanly.

The ad got mixed reviews as some fans thought the animation of the well known mascot was "creepy." Similarly, several reviews thought the character was just too uptight and rigid seeming, however that is what one would expect from a mascot of this type. Check out this blog about cartoons and mascots that does not agree with the ad Mr. Clean does not impress

The Origins trailer resembled superman so closely that people ran with the story, adding their own bits and pieces. Sam Theilman, a contributor to Ad Weekly, comments, "[They] also leaves out the crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder with which the great P&G mascot has struggled since childhood—it's true that he "will clean your whole house and everything that's in it," but it's also true that he has to touch the doorknob three times before he leaves a room and has developed a skin condition from washing his hands so often." [Read the Ad Weekly Article]
Although the Mr. Clean campaign may have turned some people away from the long-standing character, P&G definitely got people talking about the character.

What do you think? Creepy or not?

-Sherie