Chesty Bond
Chesty Bond is a long-lived fictional cartoon character and trademark for the Australian clothing company Bonds. Originally created in 1938 as part of a merchandising campaign to sell men's underwear (and the singlet in particular), Chesty Bond is recognised by many Australians as a popular national icon.
The character was a co-creation of cartoonist Syd Miller[1][2][3] and Ted Maloney,[4] the Bond's account executive at advertising agency, J. Walter Thomkpson.[5][6] Devised in 1938, Chesty Bond only made periodic appearances along with another Bond's comic strip, Aussie History,[5] until it was decided in 1940 to make the strip a regular feature.[5] Beginning in March 1940, Chesty Bond was featured three times each week in Sydney's Sun newspaper,[5][6] and by 1942 it had been extended to five days a week.[6] When Miller joined the Herald and Weekly Times in 1945[6] the strip was taken over by Francis 'Will' Mahoney, who continued to draw it until 1950.[5][6] The strip was then handled by Virgil Reilly before being passed on to Cee Linaker, followed by John Santry[7] until it was retired in 1964.[5][6] Chesty Bond was one of the most successful daily advertising strip running for over 20 years.
Chesty, with his characteristically powerful jutting jaw and impressive physique, became a superhero when he pulled on his trusty Chesty Bond Athletic vest.[5] As a result of the successful campaign, Chesty Bond became the archetypal Australian hero synonymous with Australian masculinity and an icon recognised Australia-wide. Chesty Bond also wears Bonds Boxer shorts, known for their comfortable fit. In 1951 North Sydney and Manly-Warringah rugby league player Max Whitehead was selected to be the human model for the Chesty Bonds character, though a prosthetic chin was fitted for his photo shoots to make it a little more jutting.[8]
In 2009, Pacific Brands, the owner of Bonds, announced seven manufacturing site closures and job cuts totalling 1,850[9] and that the manufacture of all Bonds products will now be in China.[10]
External links
- Bonds - Our Story - Bonds information article.
- Nursing the Bond with Chesty - University of Sydney News article, 6 January 2000
References
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- ↑ Pacific Brands Half Year Results - Presentation Briefing Slides 25 Feb 2009, accessed July 11, 2011.
- ↑ Pacific Brands Chairman's Address to Shareholders 20 Oct 2009, accessed July 11, 2011
