Give Your Brand a Voice
Does your brand have a mascot? If so, are you leveraging it to its full potential? If not, have you considered creating one? When used effectively, a brand mascot can be a valuable asset that brings infinite benefits to your business. To prove it, just take a look at these successful examples.
Tony the Tiger was born in 1952. Today, cereal fans immediately recognize his happy face and playful tagline, “They’re Gr-r-reat!” By tying this lovable animal to their Frosted Flakes product, Kellogg’s captured the hearts of shoppers all over. Children are drawn to this fun character, and several parents remember him from childhood—making him the ideal brand spokesperson.
In 1965, the Pillsbury Doughboy named Poppin’ Fresh made his debut. Only three years later, he had a recognition factor of 87% among consumers. Adored by many, at one time, he received 200 fan letters per week. Poppin’ Fresh has appeared in over 600 ads for 50 products. His adorable look and cheerful personality represent the joy that baking brings to families everywhere.
Perhaps the most notable brand mascot came to life in 1928—Disney’s Mickey Mouse. The idea for this character came to Walt Disney amidst a time of struggle for his business, and Mickey came to fame in the third Mickey Mouse cartoon titled “Steamboat Willie.” Now, Mickey is known and loved by countless children and adults as the symbol of all things magical.
As seen through Tony the Tiger, the Pillsbury Doughboy and Mickey Mouse, mascots can work wonders for business growth. They increase brand recognition and allow customers to connect emotionally with the product. By giving a brand a face and a voice, a mascot humanizes it and brings its core values to life.
One of the most exciting benefits of a mascot is that it allows your brand to interact physically and verbally with your audience. If there are certain mannerisms or catchphrases your brand has, a mascot can represent them all. For example, if one of your brand attributes is encouraging, your mascot could give out high-fives. The opportunities are endless.
Another lesson we can learn from Tony the Tiger is that mascots can evolve with your brand. Over the years, Tony has become more buff and now helps give students opportunities to participate in sports through Mission Tiger. So not only can your mascot grow along with your brand, but it can also help fuel its growth.
One final pro of having a brand mascot is that it puts you in the driver's seat. A mascot serves as the ultimate spokesperson for your brand—and you have total control over what they say and do. This greatly limits the possibility of your brand being misrepresented and gives you the perfect tool to resolve any issues related to bad press. When your mascot speaks to your audience, it’s like your brand is directly communicating with them—and that makes an impact.
Here's a quick look at some mascots we've created for our partners throughout the years.
Ready to see what mascot makes sense for your brand or use an existing mascot in a new, exciting way? Connect with BIG to get started.
1 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, “TONY’S JOURNEY!”
https://www.frostedflakes.us/tony-the-tiger
2 Pillsbury, “HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY?”
https://www.pillsbury.com/doughboy
3 The Walt Disney Family Museum, “The Birth of a Mouse”
https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/birth-mouse
4 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, “ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SCHOOLS ARE HAVING TO CUT SPORTS. WE’RE ON A MISSION TO FIX THAT.”
https://www.frostedflakes.us/mission-tiger