Have you ever considered using a mascot to help promote your business? Companies such as Energizer, McDonalds, M&Ms, KFC, Disney and Kellogg’s are just some that come to mind. Can you recall their mascots?
Mascots were used by sports teams, businesses, and groups as a symbol of good luck (‘mascotte’ in French means ‘lucky charm’). A mascot can be a person, animal, object or even a sound. In this article, I will speak to mascots and how they can bolster your brand identity.
Using a mascot in combination with your traditional and digital advertising, packaging, etcetera adds memorability and brand recognition. Most importantly, like the sandwich-board laden mascots waving at you from streetcorners or at sporting events, they personify your brand.
You’ve heard it from me a million times: a brand that evokes an emotional response engages your target audience. Make a current/potential customer smile, laugh, cry, curious, or even angry, and you’ve created a grrreat way to start a conversation.
A mascot brings to the forefront, human connection. It can shake hands, give you a high five or speak to you. A mascot connects physically. Not to say you can’t do that using a mascot in a print or digital fashion. It must evoke an emotional response. For example, if Harvey the Hound came up and hugged you at a Calgary Flames game, it would create a memorable experience for diehard fans. The “hug-ee” might share it with friends
Mascots don’t have to be a literal representation of your business’ product. In fact, most we see aren’t. If you’re a dentist, your mascot doesn’t have to literally be a tooth or toothbrush. A well-crafted mascot encompasses everything about your business. Geico uses a reptile. Coca-Cola uses Polar bears. These evoke curiosity about the brand.
Take the Energizer Bunny for example. A pink rabbit selling batteries? The connection is what the bunny represents and how it can solve problems in your life: endless energy. Did you know that the Energizer Bunny was first created as a spoof of Duracell’s bunnies?
Back in the early 1970’s, Duracell used a ‘fluffle’ of pink rabbits in an ad that were simultaneously playing snare drums. As the ad played, it revealed that the bunny that lasted the longest, when others had tapped out, was powered by Duracell.
Energizer’s ad agency at the time took advantage of Duracell’s mistake not to renew their IP patent on the bunny (in the US only). They created a spoof of Duracell’s original bunny tv ad, introducing the Energizer Bunny. Wearing sunglasses and flip flops, the Energizer Bunny, beating a bass drum, walks through the snare drum beating fluffle and then exits stage right to the shock of the production crew.
Subsequent ads, featuring made-up brands has the Energizer Bunny crashing through mock scenarios with the voiced tagline, “They keep going and going…” This was a huge brand awareness campaign for Energizer.
As you can see, a mascot can take your brand to places you didn’t imagine and can stand the test of time to help grow your business. Consider a mascot for your brand. They’re magically delicious.
Until next month,
Cheers, mark
