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10 Examples of Great, Corporate Mascots

It is true that mascots form the backbone of many high profile marketing campaigns. An effective mascot can add personality to your business, and are a great long term investment. I have listed below 10 great examples of corporate mascots that display these characteristics and have proven to be a success for the related company.

1) The Geico Gecko

Love him or hate him, the Geico Gecko has been the face of Geico Insurance for an entire decade. Created in 1999 in response to a Screen Actors Guild strike, which banned live actors from taking part in commercials, Geico decided to use a CGI gecko to advertise their auto insurance. Over the years, the gecko has transformed from decidedly American to Cockney English, and now to a semi-working class English gecko.

2) Tux, the Linux Penguin

The face of Linux, Tux the penguin is known to geeks worldwide as the character in hundreds of Linux games, the mascot for many open source products, and worldwide symbol for open source Unix (or Unix-like, if you prefer) software. Created as an entry to a logo competition, Tux failed to win any major prize three times in succession, but quickly found a home as the official mascot of Linux. There are hundreds of variations of Tux out there, in a massive variety of different art styles.

3) Mario

Sure, he’s not an official mascot, but Mario is as much the face of Nintendo as he is their most recognized game character. Since his first appearance as “Jump Man” in 1981′s smash hit Donkey Kong, Mario has become one of, if not the most famous video game characters of all time. As technology has progressed, so has Mario’s look, and in 1996 he took the switch to full 3D in Nintendo’s Super Mario 64. Save for perhaps Pacman, you’ll be hard pressed to find a video game character and icon more impressive and recognized than Mario.

4) Ronald McDonald

He’s big, red, clownish and most of all, creepy. Even so, hundreds of millions of people worldwide are familiar with the fast food icon. Branding experts consider Ronald McDonald to be the second most recognizable figure in the world, after only Santa Claus. As a marketing mascot, he’s second to none — everyone knows who he is, and you’d have trouble finding anyone who couldn’t put the figure to the restaurant.

If you want an even creepier version of Ronald McDonald, try and find some footage of the old live action TV version from his Wacky Adventures. He’s dropped the bright red hair and dons a food-tray paper hat, with scarecrow style straw looking hair.

5) The Burger King

No list could have Ronald McDonald without his biggest rival. The Burger King has been around since the late 50s, and changed in form dramatically over the years. Star of the not-such-a-hit XBox 360 game Sneak King, The King has gone everywhere from major TV advertising to NFL games, and is reportedly starring in his own new movie, The Burger King.

Seriously, it’s got a distributer and studio attached. I’m all for The King, but you’d think Hollywood had other ideas.

6) Mr. Peanut

The logo and mascot for Planters Peanuts, Mr. Peanut has been the face of snack foods for a long time. That’s probably not aided by his top hat, monocle and walking cain, which combine to give him a fairly old and gentlemanly look. If you’re a peanut fan, Mr. Peanut is no doubt easily recognizable, and an image that’s always associated with Planters.

7) The Kool-Aid Man

Who hasn’t seen this guy? Created in 1954 and called “Pitcher Man”, Kool-Aid man has featured in hundreds of commercials, page advertisements, and other forms of media. Often seen in TV commercials practicing extreme sports and beating down walls, the Kool-Aid Man is known for his signature catch phrase — “Oh yeah!”.

Need a conclusive argument that Kool-Aid Man is mega-effective? Try watching a season of Family Guy without seeing him pop up. Actually, why not make a drinking game out of it? Kool Aid, of course.

Wendy

Wendy is the official mascot of, well, Wendy’s. This popular fast food chain is well known for its advertising campaigns — their 1984 “Where’s the beef?” campaign was so popular that it even got a mention in a presidential debate. Wendy isn’t just the company mascot, she’s the reason behind the company altogether. Named after Wendy Thomas, founder Dave Thomas’ daughter, the mascot is modeled on the inspiration for the company itself.

9) Bibendum, the Michelin Man

Created in 1894, the Michelin Man is without a doubt one of the oldest and most widely recognized corporate mascots out there. Famous for advertising Michelin Tires, Bib has been the feature of hundreds of print, television, and internet advertising campaigns, and sees no decrease in popularity as time goes by. The Michelin Man is so popular as a mascot that his name has entered the popular lexicon as a way of describing someone that’s, well, a little too heavy.

10) Sonic The Hedgehog

Created in 1991 in response to Nintendo’s massive success with Mario, Sonic is the face of Sega and one of the most recognizable video game characters and entertainment mascots of all time. While Sega isn’t quite the worldwide powerhouse that it used to be, Sonic is still an enduring and effective mascot, having been involved in some of the most successful video games, TV series, and branding campaigns of all time. Simply put, if you’re a gamer, you know who Sonic is.

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