Charlie The Tuna O-fish-ially Turns 60-Years Young

Legendary StarKist mascot Charlie the Tuna has been winning over consumers with his good taste for 60 years. The brand is commemorating the occasion with a celebration that features a special underwater-themed cake, shout-outs from some of Charlie’s favorite friends, and interactive social media opportunities for fans.

“StarKist is proud to celebrate Charlie’s 60th birthday and he is truly an icon,” said Andrew Choe, StarKist President and CEO. “The fact that he appeals to audiences as much today as he did sixty years ago is really a testament to his timeless charm. We are proud to have him represent the StarKist business and look forward to seeing what Charlie has in store for us in the future.”

Creator Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett agency developed the fin-tastic character in 1961. Through StarKist’s popular television commercials, Charlie quickly rose to stardom and the catchphrase “Sorry Charlie” was adopted into the American pop culture lexicon. The memorable tagline was even honored with its own holiday; National Sorry Charlie Day has observed annually on April 6.

Charlie Gets A Birthday Delivery From Buddy Valastro
Buddy Valastro, aka Mr. Cake Boss himself, did the honors of designing Charlie’s celebratory birthday cake. Charlie headed to Carlo’s Bakery headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey, where Mr. Valastro personally presented him with the impressive custom four-tier masterpiece cake. The sugary confection was festooned with cartoon-style seashells, coral reefs and aquatic plants – all a nod to Charlie’s home turf, the ocean.

“Charlie the Tuna is such a beloved character,” said Mr. Valastro. “So it was great fun and an honor to create the cake for Charlie’s big day. Happy birthday to the coolest spokesfish there is. Sixty looks great on you!”