Mascots have been a rage in various advertisements since they were invented two centuries back. Think about Amul butter and you cannot help remembering the cute little chubby girl with a plateful of dairy products, charming you with her antics. The word “Mascot” literally means as someone who brings good luck and fortune, and the mascots in the advertisement world have proved that time and again.
Advertisers use mascots for a number of reasons. To begin with, mascots are a cheap and easy way to establish rapport and trust among consumers in a creative, sustainable and least expensive way. The models or the celebrities may switch loyalties, once the contract with the ad company is over but the mascot will remain loyal to the company through the thick and thin of economy.
Mascots are also a good way to get noticed among a large congregation of people, whether it is a parade or a carnival or a fare or anything which attracts masses. One need not spend money on recurrent basis on models when a lucky and charming model is there in offing. Macdonald does not need any celebrity or model for advertising its lip smacking products because it has a huge Mr. Ronald Macdonald, welcoming its guests at all Macdonald outlets.
Researchers suggest that consumers remember the mascots, associate them easily with the brands and identify with the mascots positively. Kids love mascots because of their charming or funny faces and idolize them. My daughter always picks Amul butter out of various butters lying in the departmental store because she always remembers the cute Amul mascot.
Mascots also help in accentuating brand personality and ensure entertainment and marketing value of the products they are associated with. No wonder, mascots are being used and will be used extensively by the advertisers.
