History. The precursor to Kool-Aid Man, "the Pitcher Man", was created on July 10, 1954. Marvin Potts, an art director for a New York advertising agency, was hired by General Foods to create an image that would accompany the slogan "A 5-cent package makes two quarts".

Kool-Aid Man is a anthropomorphic pitcher of bright red Kool-Aid who serves as the mascot for the powdered drink-mix brand. The character is known for his audacious entrances and catchphrase “Oh, yeah!”

For years this sentient pitcher of frosty cold cherry drink has been slamming onto our television screens and getting the party started, and leaving sky-high foundation repair bills in his wake.

The version of Kool-Aid Man that most people are familiar with today came in 1975 when ad agency Grey landed the brand's account. Grey would add limbs to Kool-Aid Man, greatly extending the mascot's range. That is also when the Kool-Aid man received his signature catchphrase - “Oh Yeah!” - and wall-busting entrance.

The phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” refers to followership at its worse. It was coined after a delusional, pseudo-guru named Jim Jones led his cult, the Peoples Temple, to mass suicide. Over 900 people, including 304 children, killed themselves by drinking from a vat of grape-flavored drink laced with cyanide.

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is an expression used to refer to a person who believes in a possibly doomed or dangerous idea because of perceived potential high rewards. The phrase typically carries a negative connotation.

In recent years it has evolved further to mean extreme dedication to a cause or purpose, so extreme that one would "drink the Kool-Aid" and die for the cause. The phrase originates from events in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978, in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple movement died.

Kool-Aid is usually sold in powder form, in either packets or small tubs. The actual beverage is prepared by mixing the powder with sugar (the packets of powder are usually, though not always, unsweetened) and water. The drink is usually either served with ice or refrigerated and served chilled.

The character has appeared on television and in print advertising as a fun-loving, gigantic, and joyful anthropomorphic pitcher filled with "The Original Flavor" Cherry Kool-Aid.

In recent years it has evolved further to mean extreme dedication to a cause or purpose, so extreme that one would "drink the Kool-Aid" and die for the cause. The phrase originates from events in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978, in which over 900 members of the Peoples Temple movement died.

Kool-Aid may not be a health food, but it's a fun beverage that millions of kids, including your humble correspondent, grew up drinking and loving. It remains a popular drink in the U.S., Canada and many other countries.

To drink the Kool-Aid means you believe in the organizational culture so much that you are willing and able to spout its principles without thinking, and that you ignore any evidence supporting the notion your company's way of doing things isn't working as well as it could.