Buddy Lee

Sales manager Chester Reynolds, later Lee's board president, came up with the idea of using a doll to "model" miniature versions of the company's clothes for store displays.

The main campaign was preceded by guerrilla marketing techniques, including movie trailer-style teaser spots, unbranded posters of the doll, and a 6-minute mockumentary, "The Buddy Lee Story," which was aired in segments during late-night cable television.

The doll was usually presented as a heroic figure who survived all manner of certain doom, prompting his human co-stars to marvel at the durability of his jeans.

[5] 2002's campaign consisting of the TV spots "Cheese" and "Emu" was directed by Dante Ariola while Chris Smith helmed 2003's "Trailer," "The Chase" and "Hall of Mirrors."

In November 2004, the doll starred in "Buddy Lee: Guidance Counselor," a Jon Nowak-directed series of three 6-minute sponsored segments on otherwise commercial-free episodes of MTV2's interactive show Control Freak.