The Fig Newton Mascot You May Not Remember Existed

Fig Newtons first came on the nation's cookie scene in 1891 as "Newtons." The fig-filled cookies were named after a town in Massachusetts near their bakery of origin and became a sweet success early on. A few years later, as the National Biscuit Company (now known as Nabisco) expanded and the cookie's popularity grew, "fig" was added to the name. People loved its crumbly pastry outside and dollop of fruit filling inside. This snack food is one of the oldest and remains in the national lexicon — even as the brand has modernized and the name has reverted to its 19th-century simplicity. But there was a period in the 1970s that has practically been lost to snack food history: The era of Big Fig.

Nabisco had decided that Fig Newtons needed a whimsical new mascot. In the 1950s, a cowboy had declared his love of Fig Newtons to commercial viewers, but this mascot had a more direct relationship with the product. So actor James Harder donned a plump fig costume (with his human face in view), plus curly-toed shoes, and did the Newton dance. Big Fig's job was to sell the deliciousness of the cookie to television watchers everywhere. 

As far as Fig Newton's history goes, Big Fig occupies only a small part — but it is an immensely memorable period. His dance starts with a couple of jaunty jazz squares under a spotlight before Harder's jovial voice chimes in to sing the praises of Fig Newtons. The cookies were "ooey, gooey, rich and chewy" on the inside and "golden, flakey, tender, cakey" on the outside (all explained at length in a bright, cheerful tune). Although this theme song is one that will get stuck in your head indefinitely before the 30-second ad even ends, it wasn't the only commercial in which Big Fig appeared.

Opting this time for an interesting take on a classic commercial trope, Big Fig suddenly bursts out of an unsuspecting family's pantry when the baseball-cap-clad son asks his mother if they have any cookies. In an astonishingly mid-1970s kitchen, Big Fig takes a more casual approach to his original song and dance, twirling a shocked mom out of the shot as he belts out the virtues of the Fig Newton recipe, a cakey cookie that keeps fig filling from falling out. The lyrics are a little adjusted, but the tune is the same (and Big Fig still cues up the music by calling on an unseen Hal to "hit it") — so it's just as unforgettable as the first.

Today, the cookies have gone full circle and are called Newtons again. They also abandoned Big Fig, his catchy jingles, and his fig-human-hybrid persona of the 1970s. Once the 1980s rolled around, the company expanded its offerings to other fruits — like raspberries and blueberries, strawberries and apple-cinnamon, and in 2012, the company officially dropped "fig" from the overall name, opting instead for a generalized moniker with specific fruits designated for its respective cookies. But the name change didn't hurt the acclaim. As of 2022, Fig Newtons were the third most popular cookie in the U.S., and more than 1 billion are eaten annually.

Fig Newtons have made such a mark on U.S. cookie culture that there's even a Fig Newton Day that you can celebrate if you're so inclined. Every January 16, the country celebrates (or, most likely, a small group of people who enjoy very niche holidays celebrates) the treat's origins. If you mark your calendar now, you'll have time to learn the Newton dance in honor of the timeworn fig frontman, Big Fig.