Chuck E. Cheese Now a Rock Star

Chuck E. Cheese is having a mascot make over, launching a new rock star image that aims to connect with the new hip generations and hopefully, raise sales. The character, as seen below, is now an electric-guitar playing mouse starting last Thursday. Even the voice of the character is said to be changed, as announced by CEC Entertainment Inc. in their national ad campaign.

The mascot has been an icon to many consumers as it has been 35 years since it was first shown to public. The movement is simply a marketing strategy that aims to gain more sales over its 500 branches. Other than its iconic mouse and its pizzas, the said restaurant also presents games, prizes, and shows for consumers.

Over the last year, sales have been going down at around 4.2 percent and the Texas based company has been seen struggling to revive its popularity.

Though the campaign was a good idea, the replacement wasn’t so much of good news to the voice over character of Chuck E. Cheese, Duncan Brannan. A fan site revealed that Brannan was not informed by the company about the replacement and has only discovered it through the online song “Chuck’s Hot New Single” which he did not sing.

Signs were already visible to Brannan about the new look but the voice over was a surprise for him as the company assured him of his freelance contractual job.

CEC Entertainment also assured of that statement as they commented that he will still be serving entertainment in restaurants and says that he is not fired. To CEC, they just “chose to utilize new voice talent.”

The replacement voice over talent is Jaret Reddick. The new talent is said to come from a band Bowling for Soup, and has been said to be the lead singer of it.