Born more than a million years ago, UG was the world's first real estate investor! By Gregg Stengel The initial pencil drawing by Alex DePasse using Ken D'Angelo's ideas about UG. While his full name is UG LEE UGLY, we just call him UG! This caveman was born more than a million years ago - no one knows when or where for sure - and he's been buying residential property since 1,000,000 B.C. We know that because it says so on his business card! The idea for UG showed up one night in a dream. The late Ken D'Angelo, the founder of HomeVestors, America's #1 home buyer, had many creative dreams during his short lifetime and UG was one of the best. For some time Ken had been searching for a corporate mascot to help brand HomeVestors of America and differentiate the company from copycat imitators. If Ken hadn't made a success of the real estate business he would have certainly had a celebrated career in advertising and marketing! Once Ken grasped the concept for UG, he started asking HomeVestors' employees, family members and business associates to help him with the creation. He wanted UG to look like a lovable caveman. He sought out the assistance of a young sketch artist, Alex DePasse (15 at the time, and the daughter of HomeVestors' legal counsel). Ken shared the sketches with friends and other artists and eventually "the look" evolved. The first color drawing of UG by Alex DePasse. Ken then commissioned the Roger Christian Agency in San Antonio, TX to help perfect UG, to complete his costume and bring him to life as a corporate mascot. The agency made some minor tweaks to the UG artwork, but the best was yet to come. John Lemmon Films of Charlotte, N.C. was the group commissioned to make UG into a moving clay character for HomeVestors new TV commercials. The film company specialized in a clay animation process called Claymation, similar to the long-running Gumby cartoon series. The company would bring UG to life in new HomeVestors Clay Animation TV spots as a loveable UG-able character. UG was introduced by Ken to HomeVestors' franchisees and the public during a memorable HomeVestors' 2003 annual convention in Las Vegas. He made the announcement with a Las Vegas-inspired production, complete with a life-size dinosaur. The final color sketch from the advertising agency. Prior to the convention, a Dallas-based company, Dallas Costume Shoppe, Inc., was commissioned to create a wearable UG costume. The costume that was developed for the convention in late 2003 is still used today. Even 12-foot statues were created to be displayed with UG billboards, as were UG bobbleheads and dolls. With the epic announcement at the 2003 convention, UG joined the ranks of other corporate mascots such as the Aflac Duck, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Geico Gecko and the Wall Street Bull - all symbols that identify a brand. The Clay Animation Version. UG comes to life! Every year, UG makes personal appearances at HomeVestors' meetings and conventions, and on behalf of franchisees. As far as we know, he never married and he has no children. No one knows why UG has lived for so long. He doesn't seem to age, get sick or sleep. As Ken D'Angelo's dream became a reality in late 2003, UG and HomeVestors franchisees carry on Ken's declaration that "UG should never give up the pursuit of less than perfect caves." And the rest is history.