Duracell Bunny

Two Duracell Bunnies during a festival in Vienna, Austria

A Duracell Bunny is any of several anthropomorphic pink rabbits powered by batteries, used to promote Duracell brand batteries. In commercial advertisements, the Duracell Bunny is actually only one of these rabbits, powered by a Duracell battery rather than rival batteries. The point of the advertisement is that the bunny powered by a Duracell battery can continue functioning for a longer amount of time before its battery runs down.

The advertisements usually feature the bunnies competing in some way, for example, a game of football or a race.

The Duracell Bunny campaign was launched in 1973^[1] and predates the Energizer Bunny, which was created in 1989^[2]. There are differences in appearance—the Energizer Bunny wears sunglasses, has larger ears, is a different shade of pink, and has a different body shape. Also, while the Energizer Bunny is a single rabbit, the Duracell Bunnies are a species. The Energizer Bunny is depicted with a drum, because the Duracell Bunny toys had drums. The Duracell Bunny advertising campaign has changed, and Duracell Bunnies are usually depicted as doing something other than beating a drum.

The Duracell Bunny does not appear in North America, due to Energizer filing a trademark claim for the marketing use of a "battery bunny" in the United States and Canada. However, it occasionally appears on grey market Duracells or counterfeit Duracells, usually of Chinese origin.

The Duracell Bunny was originally trademarked for use in the US and other countries. Duracell failed to renew its US trademark of the bunny and as a result, lost it^{[citation needed]}. Energizer, seeing an opportunity, trademarked a new bunny for its use.

In Europe & Australia the term "Duracell Bunny" has entered the vernacular as a term for anything that continues indefatigably while in North America the term "Energizer Bunny" has a similar connotation.

In the UK in 1995, limited editions of the Bunny could be found wearing the kit of Blackburn Rovers - of whom the Bunny was an avid fan following their Premier League Title success.

References

1. ^ "Bunny History". http://www1.duracell.com/power/za/bunny-history.aspx. "It began in 1973, when breakthrough advertising was developed...A small pink, fluffy bunny was created, who, powered by Duracell batteries, was able to outlast all others in an array of colourful challenges....From 1973 through to 1980, the Duracell Bunny starred in a toy campaign, which was later rolled out around the world." 
2. ^ "About the Energizer Bunny". http://www.energizer.com/energizer-bunny/pages/bunny-history.aspx. "Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, 1989." 

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