Mascots have been part of brand identities for as long as we can remember. You may have childhood memories of cereal boxes littered with characters like Cap’n Crunch or the bee from Honey Nut Cheerios. If you’ve been seeing fewer of them in advertising lately, you’ll be happy to know that mascots have seen a resurgence in popularity. Our blog explores a few examples.
Mascot Benefits
Recognition is a key benefit of mascots in advertising. They serve as a visual representation of what the brand is about and are easily recognizable. You might remember a mascot more easily than a slogan or tagline because of design traits like bright colors or a smile. Mascots improve ad recall by 37%, meaning a memorable character can be an effective method for campaigns.
There’s also an emotional connection related to mascots. It’s reported that 64% of consumers feel increased loyalty to a brand when they’re emotionally connected. Seeing a familiar face in the form of a mascot, or remembering a childhood memory involving them, can elicit nostalgia; this can influence a consumer to engage or purchase a product from a brand the mascot belongs to.
Going Nuts
Food company Planters has been using Mr. Peanut as its mascot for over a century. An anthropomorphic peanut with arms and legs, a top hat, a monocle, and a cane, the figure is a staple of their packaging and advertising. This changed when Planters “killed off” the mascot in a 2020 Super Bowl commercial. The news was widespread, with the brand and Mr. Peanut featured in countless articles and thought pieces.
Following a brief lull, Mr. Peanut returned in 2021. By then, Planters had reintroduced the world to the mascot by creating an event with him at the forefront. The idea to “kill him off” generated massive social media action and free advertising across numerous channels. Even other brands like Nesquik referenced Mr. Peanut’s demise. Altogether, the move catapulted the mascot into the spotlight and created brand awareness.
Grimace at This
McDonald’s is no stranger to mascots; think Ronald McDonald and the Hamburgler, for starters. While their appearances have declined in recent years, one character has been revitalized: Grimace, an anthropomorphized purple taste bud. Although his initial appearance was in 1971, he’s been at the forefront of some of the brand’s new menu items and viral social media strategies. This is very different from his previous positioning, where he was more of a “supporting character” than a figure for entire campaigns.
This all changed in 2023, when McDonald’s introduced the Grimace Shake to mark the 52nd anniversary of the character’s first appearance. A berry-flavored purple shake, this item went viral on social platforms like TikTok, ultimately boosting McDonald’s Q2 sales and driving customers to spend more at the restaurant than they had in the previous 12 weeks. Ultimately, this campaign raised both Grimace’s and McDonald’s profiles.
Local Flavor
In a Buffalo-based approach, Sabretooth, the mascot for the Sabres, has also seen a resurgence in popularity, lately. This comes from the recent success of the team and its first appearance in the playoffs in 15 years. As a result, a long-held tradition was able to continue involving Sabretooth repelling from the rafters at KeyBank Arena. This spectacle is usually reserved for important home games, which is why it made sense for the character to repel down for most of the games during the playoffs.
Some Character of Our Own
While we at Quinlan don’t have a mascot, we do have a lot of character to offer you. Interested in working with us on your next project or campaign? Reach out to us.
