Willie Wiredhand
Parents: Each PDF file has a different coloring page for Willie Wiredhand to celebrate our 75th Anniversary.

January
February
March (no newsletter)
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Special Holiday images:
Wreath
Turkey
Rural Winter Scene
Christmas Music

Learn more about Willie Wiredhand
Marketing the Image of Rural Electrification
Just like every other business, advertising with a brand image, logo or mascot is an important part of a company’s marketing plan. Electric cooperatives are no exception, however it wasn’t until fifteen years after the REA started that there was a nation-wide mascot created to represent rural electric cooperatives. Since then, there have been two mascot updates to adapt to the changing industry as well as logo and name changes to your cooperative.

Cooperative Mascots Stand the Test of Time
Willie Wiredhand (©NRECA) is the longtime friendly face and spokesplug of rural electric cooperatives nationwide. Adopted in 1951 by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Willie’s last name is one of the original nicknames for rural electric cooperatives: “wiredhand” (because electricity brought to rural America by co-ops in the 1930s and 40s was the never-tiring, always available hiredhand to assist the nation’s farmers.) Willie Wiredhand was “born” October 30, 1950, the creation of the late Andrew “Drew” McLay, an entomologist turned freelance-artist working for NRECA.

Friction between rural electric cooperatives and commercial power companies began to peak in the 1950s. The intensity of the battle can be seen in a court confrontation between Willie Wiredhand , symbol of rural electrification, and Reddy Kilowatt, symbol of the companies. Reddy had been around since 1926 and was used by utilities in almost every state. He was depicted with a body, arms and legs of jagged red electrical bolts and had a round head with a light bulb for a nose and outlets for ears. After Willie was created, a co-op was sued with copyright infringement. After a week-long trial in 1956, Willie and NRECA won the case and was granted a patent for the trademark.

Excerpt from “Golden Boy - Willie Wiredhand's life story”
by Richard G. Biever senior editor of Electric Consumer

“Just a touch of tarnish may be creeping into his brass-plated crown. And the roundness of his waistline is a sure indication that he’s a child of the ’50s. But the twinkle in his eye, the smile on his face, the ever-present wave will never age — nor will his dedicated service to rural electric cooperatives and their consumers.

He’s still the friendly and inspirational golden boy who symbolizes dependable, local, consumer-owned electricity. He’s appeared in just about every type of cooperative publication and promotional item.”

A collage of different advertisements that were published in Hawkeye’s newsletter starting with the creation of Willie Wiredhand in 1950 through its popular use until the 1990’s at Hawkeye.

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