The Olympics have finished their quad yearly domination of the world’s water cooler conversations. And while the stadiums get swept out and all the brand new break dance experts put their New Balance away, there’s one event that I think really deserves more attention:
The Mascots.
It’s always exciting to see what is going to be put forward as the face of the event. Will it be an easily understood? Will it be a forced together set of ideas that requires pre reading in order for it to click? This year we had a traditional French hat, we saw a trio Aussie animals in Sydney 2000 and I’m sure we all remember Wenlock from London 2012, made of melted steel, cameras and taxi spare parts.
They are a staple of the event, an extension of the event’s brand that is allowed to be a little out there (looking at you, London 2012). I’ll add a link to the full list at the end.
Olympic mascots come in all shapes, sizes and levels of scary.
But mascots are not unique to the Olympics. Brands in all corners of the brandverse from sports teams, bands, restaurants to household products embrace mascots. Mickey Mouse, the Michellin Man, Duracell Bunny, M&Ms, Ronald McDonald, iSelect Meerkats, Duolingo Owl and Louie the Fly for the older crew are great examples of mascots at their best. (Side note, my mum loves recounting how as a kid I’d cry when Louie got Morteined).
So why do mascots and brands play so well together? The simple answer is we, the public, love them, and brands love that we love them. Back in the old days, they created a point of difference between burger chains, and even fly spray. Mascots give brands a chance to connect with their audience on a whole new level. Even to the point of making a small child cry when a dirty, sleazy fly is ascended to the after life.
Some of our fave mascots that bring back the memories from over the years. Add this to where you keep your weird pub trivia: McDonald's Grimace is actually a tastebud.
According to a study from 2021, brand mascots or characters can increase profit and emotional connection with customers by up to 41%^.
They facilitate a way for the brand to speak, guide, engage and just be hugged. They give brands a legitimate way to come to life and show off their values. They provide exciting (and cute) faces that offer consumers a familiar constant in a busy, message-filled world. Our recent conversion of the literal Sun into an optimistic and bright mascot for Solar Victoria creates the opportunity to physically show how the sun’s touch can power many parts of a home. Powerful, and also cuddly.
A little look at the process we went through finding the right fit for Solar Victoria.
In short, mascots help build the brand story. And when this story is deep enough, it becomes the brand. In 2008, Mickey Mouse had a recognition rate of 98% among children aged 3-11*. Obviously Mickey and Disney are the best in class example, but the point is that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Mascots do all this, and they do it with very little risk to brand reputation. You’ll never see Mickey doing anything Disney doesn’t want him to.
Long-term campaigns featuring a character can increase profit gain by 34.1%, compared with 26.2% for campaigns without. New customer gain will on average increase by 40.9%, compared with 32% for campaigns without^. Mascots can grow with a brand, and this is why our old friend Louie the Fly was resurrected and routinely dispatched campaign after campaign after campaign. Our recent evolution of Barwon Water’s mascot ‘Drop’ changed it from something just for kids to colour in to a mascot that can speak to all audiences. This was done to enable the brand to speak about the hard realities of water in Australia, using the mascot’s approachable look to front a range of very serious and important messages.
Barwon Water's Drop, given new life and reach with a refreshed personality by Hive. See the campaign here.
So mascots and brands can be best friends, but what makes a great mascot?
There are a few key points that help add appeal to mascots:
- Relevance: The mascot needs to make sense with the brand, and with the audience. Cute works for the Olympics, but not as well for Iron Maiden.
- Flexibility to appear and engage across channels: Make sure the mascot can go where your audience will see it, and it can do the things it needs to.
- Unique and memorable appearance: This is the X factor, as it can go wrong quick. Regardless of what the old saying advises, not all attention is good attention (again, London 2012 please take notes).
- Emotive connection: Leading on from above, make sure the character is likable for the right reasons and works for your audience. Eddie from Iron Maiden isn’t something you’d bring home for dinner, but is amazing to watch during the solo in ‘Aces High’.
- The right resources and repetition: Let the mascot loose so your audience can get to know and connect to them like a friend. The more it is seen, the more it is likely to be remembered and associated with your brand.
Getting these points right will mean no matter if your mascot is a cute owl, a decaying zombie or a fly destined for death, it will create audience connection and help build the brand. It’s certainly not a short-cut, but when done right will bring smiles and enjoyment to your audience, and big, round, fluffy opportunities for your brand.
Links:
- Olympic mascots past and present: https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/olympic-mascots
- Louie the Fly (have tissues ready): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZDRIrGD1pQ
References:
- *https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1044&context=honors
- ^https://www.campaignasia.com/article/brand-mascots-will-send-your-profits-and-emotional-connection-soaring/472774
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