Quiznos Brings Back Infamous Spongmonkey Mascots for New Commercial

One of the most notorious fast food mascots is back. Last week, Quiznos unveiled a new advertising campaign to proclaim their plans for a comeback, after filing for bankruptcy in 2014 and proceeding to close more than 4,000 locations. The centerpiece of this campaign is a new advertisement starring the Spongmonkeys, the surreal rodents who became part of the early Internet lexicon. Originally created by U.K. animator Joel Veitch, the Spongmonkeys are best known for shrilly singing about things they enjoy — first the moon, and later Quiznos' various products. While the Spongmonkey commercials should have theoretically worked against Quiznos, their catchy and distinct songs became pretty well associated with the sandwich restaurant chain, even after they stopped appearing in their advertisements back in 2004.

"I didn't expect Quiznos to get back in touch, but I was so pleased they did," Veitch explained in a recent interview with Eater. "I was over the moon. My experience of the mayhem that was making these commercials originally was just unbridled joy. Really, really good fun. And I've enjoyed the way that they've continued to have a life afterward."

"The Spongmonkeys were last seen in 2005, when they were loved and hated in roughly equal measure," CEO Tim Casey said in the statement. "The return of the brand's most famous mascots, the Spongmonkeys, marks the resurgence of Quiznos."

Is Quiznos Relaunching?

As Quiznos revealed when unveiling the new Spongmonkeys commercial, the goal is to expand the chain's footprint and open "a completely new dining experience" in dozens of new locations. 

"We hear you, it's harder to get to Quiznos these days," Quiznos' website reads. "And we miss you too. So we're here to do something about that. Today, we are going back to our roots to harness the core Quiznos DNA that started this whole thing back in 1981. Why? Because we lost our way. We tried to do too much at once and ended up with thousands of stores shutting down. Now, getting back to our roots doesn't mean standing still. We know that boring food is... well... boring so we're bringing a whole new level of commitment to innovation. Try our Philly Cheesesteaks to see what we mean."

"But we also know a classic when we see it. The recipes you cherish from the past, like the Chicken Carbonara, Classic Italian, and Black Angus Steakhouse, are still droolworthy today – so we're continuing to dish those up with pride. You can't touch this. We want to reward the millions of loyal fans who have stuck with us and filled the internet with comments asking for Quiznos to come back. We'll keep pushing the boundaries like we have from the start to give these toasted subs the platform that they deserve. With our all-star front-line roster of subs and a refreshed formula for franchisees we've got a whole new vision for the future of Quiznos. Are you coming?"

What do you think of Quiznos bringing back the Spongmonkeys? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!