One, you can do anything to them and not worry about anyone...

One, you can do anything to them and not worry about anyone being offended. Humor always gets attention in TV commercials, but the problem with it is that usually someone's got to be the target. And in today's PC world, that means someone's going to be offended. Dummies and other mascots easily solve that problem. You can make fun of them, bash them over the head, kick them in the crotch, and they just stand there with their frozen grins, which makes the joke even funnier - not to mention creepier.