As you probably already know, Bart Simpson is the vice president of business development here at GoDecals. Bart was born three years before “The Simpsons” premiered on Fox, but for his entire life, the mere mention of his name has produced references—both good and bad—to the “other” Bart.
In fact, Bart got picked on so badly in elementary school that he asked his mom and dad (GoDecals founder, Jay) to change his name. They lovingly denied his request, and he says that, over time, he learned to embrace his name. And so have we.
Inspired by ESPN’s “This is SportsCenter” commercials, NBC’s “The Office,” and, of course, “The Simpsons,” GoDecals partnered with our sister company, UpTik Media, to produce a minute-long promotional video. The video features Bart pulling Bart Simpson-esque pranks around the factory, seemingly oblivious to the disapproval of employees.
Stickers and decals are fun and creative products, and we like finding fun and creative ways to promote what we do. Check out the video below. We hope you like it.
LIFE AS “BART”
So, what is life like sharing a name with an iconic television character?
- Bart says he doesn’t really watch the show, and that his real name is actually Bart, not Bartholomew, like the character.
- People often ask him if he has a sister named Lisa (he doesn’t), or if his dad’s first name is Homer. It isn’t, but the two dads do share a middle name: Jay.
- Bart says that he often has people ask to have their pictures taken with him once they find out his name. He’s also been asked for his autograph a few times.
- He says people often yell “Simpsons” catchphrases at him, expecting him to laugh along with them.
- He says the name serves as an effective icebreaker in business conversations, though he has had numerous people hang up on him during sales calls because they thought he was prank calling them.
- “People often say, ‘I hope you’re nicer than the cartoon.’”
- “When I was sitting at a gate at the airport, my name was called over the loudspeaker. As I looked around, everyone was waiting to see who would stand up—while laughing.”
- “Another time, I was checking in for a flight when a TSA agent had to get a manager to approve my license. The manager told the agent to ‘let the man pass.’"
- “I've had my name laughed at many times, but this one takes the prize. One time, when I was purchasing a new couch with my wife, I handed the credit card and license to the clerk who laughed so loud in my face that my ears rang. Seriously.“
- “Facebook deleted my account because they said that they didn’t allow fictional characters to have profiles. I had to fax them a copy of my driver’s license."
