Duracell Bunny
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A Duracell Bunny is any of several anthropomorphic pink rabbits powered by batteries, used to promote Duracell brand batteries. In commercial advertisements, the Duracell Bunny is actually only one of these rabbits, powered by a Duracell battery rather than rival batteries. The point of the advertisement is that the bunny powered by a Duracell battery can continue functioning for a longer amount of time before its battery runs down.
The advertisements usually feature the bunnies competing in some way, for example, a game of football or a race.
The Duracell Bunny campaign was launched in 1973 and predates the Energizer Bunny, which actually began as a parody of the Duracell Bunny commercials and toys that became a collectible item. There are differences in appearance—the Energizer Bunny wears sunglasses, has larger ears, is a different shade of pink, and has a different body shape. Also, while the Energizer Bunny is a single rabbit, the Duracell Bunnies are a species. The Energizer Bunny is always depicted with a drum, because the Duracell Bunny toys had drums. The actual Duracell Bunny advertising campaign has moved beyond this, and Duracell Bunnies are usually depicted as doing something other than beating a drum.
The Duracell Bunny does not appear in North America, due to Energizer jumping the trademark claim for the marketing use of a "battery bunny" in the United States and Canada. It does, however, occasionally appear on counterfeit Duracells, usually of Chinese origin.
The Duracell Bunny was originally trademarked for use in the US and other countries. Duracell failed to renew its US trademark of the bunny and as a result, lost it[citation needed]. Energizer, seeing an opportunity, trademarked a new bunny for its use.
In Europe and Australia the term "Duracell Bunny" has entered the vernacular as a term for anything that continues indefatigably while in North America the term "Energizer Bunny" has a similar connotation.
