Mr. Dude

Last updated

Mr. Dude is Portland, Oregon's mascot to market the city to Japanese tourists. [1] [2] The "blue furry, Sasquatch-like creature" [3] was created by Travel Portland in 2016.

In September 2016, Travel Portland credited Mr. Dude and the "World of Odnarotoop" campaign with helping to increase Japanese visitation to Portland by as much as eleven percent in the preceding eighteen months. [4] Lizzy Acker ranked Mr. Dude seventh in The Oregonian 's 2017 list of Oregon's mascots and wrote, "Mr. Dude is a twee Travel Portland creation meant to represent Portland to the Japanese market. He's tall and hairy and blue and maybe into donuts? The best thing about him, probably, is his music video. The worst thing about him is that you can't see him unless you live in Japan." [5]

Description

The bearded, blue character was introduced in a video hosted on the website Odnarotoop.com, which was created by Travel Portland in 2016 as part of a campaign called the "World of Odnarotoop". The campaign's name comes from the Japanese pronunciation of Portland, spelled backwards. [6] [4] The video's theme song is performed by the Portland-based rock band Ages and Ages in Japanese, with some English words and phrases such as "breakfast", "crazy donuts", and "ice cream". Mr. Dude is featured on the website, saying, "Are you the one who want to go to Odnarotoop? I am your guide/camera man. Nice to meet you. Let's take a picture to start the trip." [6] He also instructs users to upload their pictures, which are integrated into the music video. [6]

The mascot was inspired by "the joy and lightheartedness that the city embodies" and Sasquatch (or Bigfoot). [4] Some Reddit users speculated that Mr. Dude was derived from a Portland man who is often seen wearing blue makeup, though a Travel Portland representative has denied that the mascot was based on any particular individual. He clarified, "[Mr. Dude] is a characterization of the city, but any resemblance to a real person is purely coincidence. The character is not based on 'a man who walks around Portland in blue makeup' and that person is not associated with Travel Portland." [6]

A live version of Mr. Dude has appeared before the Japanese Association of Travel Agents and at a tourism conference in Tokyo. [6] [4] Matthew Korfhage of Willamette Week has described Mr. Dude as "huggable". [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Woodsman Tavern</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Woodsman Tavern was a New American restaurant in the Richmond neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The restaurant originally operated from 2011 to 2018, followed by a second stint from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purrington's Cat Lounge</span> Cat cafe in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Purrington's Cat Lounge was a cat café and shelter in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The establishment billed itself as "the first cat cafe and adoption center in the Pacific Northwest". Purrington's was the first cat cafe in Oregon and among the first in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Restaurant</span> Former Greek restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Alexis Restaurant was a Greek restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, in the United States. It was established in 1981 and closed on November 7, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crush Bar</span> Gay bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Crush Bar was a gay bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood, in the United States. Established in 2001, the bar was scheduled to permanently close at the end of 2023, until an employee's investment kept Crush open into 2024. The bar closed permanently on January 1, 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lola's Room</span> Venue in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Lola's Room is a venue operated by McMenamins inside Portland, Oregon's Crystal Ballroom, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Rommelmann</span> American journalist and author

Nancy Rommelmann is an American journalist, book reviewer, and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byways Cafe</span> Defunct diner in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Byways Cafe was a diner in the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon, United States. Owners, Collin McFadden and Megan Brinkley, opened the restaurant in 1999, serving American breakfast and brunch comfort foods such as corned beef hash, omelets, and pancakes. Guy Fieri visited the diner for a 2007 episode of the Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Byways received generally positive receptions and was voted the city's "best brunch spot" by readers of The Oregonian in 2016. It closed in late 2019, after the owners were unable to reach a lease agreement with the landlord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Original Dinerant</span> Diner in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Original Dinerant, or simply The Original, is a diner serving American cuisine in Portland, Oregon, United States. Owned by Sage Hospitality Resources, Guy Fieri visited the "modern" and "upscale" diner to film a 2016 episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The diner has hosted competitive eating contests and other special events. The Original has received a generally positive reception and is most known for its glazed doughnut sliders and alcoholic milkshakes. The restaurant's mezzanine level has an amusement arcade and bar called The Dinercade added in early 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dig a Pony (bar)</span> Bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Dig a Pony (DAP) was a bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Named after the Beatles' song of the same name, the business opened in mid 2011. Dig a Pony closed in June 2022, following an ownership change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beast (restaurant)</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Beast was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business earned chef and owner Naomi Pomeroy a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Northwest in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genie's Cafe</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Genie's Cafe, or Genies Cafe, is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macheezmo Mouse</span> Restaurant chain based in the U.S. state of Oregon

Macheezmo Mouse was a fast food Mexican restaurant chain based in the U.S. state of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SuperDeluxe (restaurant)</span> Restaurant chain based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

SuperDeluxe is a restaurant chain based in Portland, Oregon. There are three restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, including the original in southeast Portland, another in northwest Portland's Pearl District, and a third in Sherwood, Oregon. In 2022, a fourth location opened in Bend. A fifth location opened in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">An Xuyên Bakery</span> Bakery in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

An Xuyên Bakery is a bakery in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caffe Mingo</span> Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Caffe Mingo was an Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. A fire caused the restaurant to close indefinitely in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud City Ice Cream</span> Ice cream parlor in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Cloud City Ice Cream is an ice cream parlor in Portland, Oregon, United States. Spouses Bryan and Sarah Gilbert opened the restaurant in southeast Portland's Woodstock neighborhood in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyatsupan Bakers</span> Japanese bakery in the U.S. state of Oregon

Oyatsupan Bakers, or simply Oyatsupan, is a Japanese bakery in the U.S. state of Oregon. The original bakery opened in Beaverton in 2016, and second location opened in Tigard in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kulfi (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Kulfi is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. There have been two locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delicious Donuts</span> Doughnut shop in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Delicious Donuts is a doughnut shop in Portland, Oregon. Operating in southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood, just south of Burnside Street, the business is owned by spouses Boun Saribout and Penny Nguyen. In addition to doughnuts, the menu includes breakfast burritos, cakes, cakes, cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, smoothies, and espresso drinks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travel Portland</span> Destination marketing organization in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Travel Portland, formerly the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, is a destination marketing organization in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is the largest destination marketing organization in Oregon.

References

  1. ↑ "Meet Portland's Mascot in Japan: Mr. Dude". Willamette Week . 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  2. ↑ "Meet Mr. Dude! Portland's mascot in Japan with an awesome song". KGW . 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  3. ↑ "PDX Trending in Japan". 1859 Oregon's Magazine . 2016-12-06. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Travel Portland uses Mr. Dude to increase tourism". KOIN. September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  5. ↑ Acker, Lizzy (2017-05-04). "Oregon mascots, ranked". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Acker, Lizzy (September 27, 2016). "In Japan, Portland has a mascot named Mr. Dude and he has an awesome theme song". The Oregonian . Advance Publications. ISSN   8750-1317 . Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  7. ↑ "The Dream of Portland Is Alive in Japan". Willamette Week. 2023-01-08. Retrieved 2025-02-02.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.