The invention of the character Mr.Cube to represent the British Sugar Industry is credited with preventing the nationalisation of the industry in the early years of Britain's Labour Government after 1945. The public, poor saps, would just not allow anything to hurt the poor little chap . So much for democracy.

See H.H.Wilson, "Techniques of Pressure - Anti-Nationalisation Propaganda in Britain" in the Public Opinion Quarterly Summer 1951, pp. 225 -242.March 7th 1951, Lord Lyle told the stockholders of Tate & Lyle "it is fair to claim that that we have, with the help of Mr.Cube, won the first round" against the Goverment."

There are other less offensive examples of a cartoon character representing a commercial enterprise.