The tiger was first used by Humble Oil, a division of Esso, but his appearance is quite different from what we're used to today. That original tiger was friendly and lovable, and a not too distant cousin of A.A. Milne's "Tigger." This guy really caught on fast in popularity, and 1964 was dubbed "The Year of the Tiger along Madison Avenue" by Time magazine. Then South America, Europe, and Australia got into the act, altering the jovial furface into a more ferocious, energetic character. By the end of the decade however, the Tiger campaign began losing gas, and the Humble fellow was retired. When Esso changed its name to Exxon in 1972, the tiger was recalled into active duty, claiming "We're changing our name, but not our stripes!" He has been a very visible presence in Exxon's advertising every since.