Do scary costumes sell more food?

I have a dear friend who is totally creeped out by people in large costumes. As someone who earned extra money in high school by dressing up for children's birthday parties, I always found this amusing. Nowadays, I am starting to think she's right.

There seems to be a trend to use people dressed in uncomfortably blank looking costumes to sell things. Mostly food. The most famous, of course, is the one where our disturbing little friend at the left sits there staring at people and offering them life-threatening fast food meals. (Burger King commercials in general have become weird. That muscial one with dancing girls lying on each other? The one with the little people building a burger? Ick) But there are others.

Quaker has decided that it's formerly loveable pilgrim-looking mascot wasn't scary enough sitting on a box. Now he pops up in offices and elevators holding a bowl of cereal bars.

But the creepiest yet has to be the soy milk commercial with cows. Or, should I say, people dressed as cows. It bothered me enough when Chik-Fil-A decided to sell chicken by having cows beg you not to eat them. Now, we have to watch them expond on the virtues of milk? Ew.

Listen up advertisers of America: We do not like creepy people in costumes. They do not make us want to buy your prodcuts. They stick in our minds only in the form of nightmares. We do not eat things that keep us up at night.

Thank you.