By Heather Taylor, Icon Researcher & Blogger at Advertising Week
If you’ve ever stopped by an ampm location, chances are you might have encountered this unusual character as you were drinking up or chowing down. He’s got hair made out of red licorice, a beard full of cheese curls, a torso covered in potato chips, and cinnamon roll palms with hot dog wieners for fingers. Look even closer at his face and you’ll find a cheeseburger nose, cookie cheeks, and hot dog mouth as he slowly shuffles around the store.
His name is Toomgis and he’s the official mascot for ampm convenience stores. We’re deciphering who, or what, he is and why he’s a pal to have in a pinch anytime you have a cravings for serious eats.
Let’s kick it off with his name. What does “Toomgis” mean? According to ampm, it’s a bit of an acronym for “Too Much Good Stuff” which can be spotted just by looking at Toomgis. Over one hundred snack food and drinks make up his 7’6” build! According to the #ToomgisTrooths hashtag on ampm’s Twitter, this makes flying in airports difficult thanks to the three ounce rule. That’s cool though — we’ll keep him, and his coffee cup arms, on land with us.
Where did he come from? Some theories about his origins include Toomgis falling from snack heaven to earth or being created as part of a snack-based science experiment. Despite his height and appearance, the most important thing to know about Toomgis is that he’s truly a gentle giant. Toomgis is a people person who loves to engage in meaningful conversation with ampm visitors and give them extra-large hugs. So the next time you’re at an ampm, go ahead and make eye contact with this dude and get talking. Toomgis can’t wait to meet you!