Blur
The "Milky" puppet in Blur's "Coffee & TV" became so popular that it had its own merchandise line. Directors Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith (Hammer & Tongs) created the character because guitarist Graham Coxon, who sings the track, was reluctant to appear in a traditional performance video. They built several animatronic puppets to handle the different stunts—walking, climbing, and getting crushed. The result was a character so expressive that audiences cared more about the dairy product than the human band members. The song's lyrics describe Coxon's struggle to give up alcohol, replacing his addiction with "Coffee and TV." Garth Jennings, one half of Hammer & Tongs, went on to direct major feature films like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the animated movie Sing. The "Strawberry Milk" female carton at the end was designed to give Milky a happy afterlife, softening the blow of his on-screen death.