The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Consumption and Consumer Studies

Brand Mascots

REBECCA BISHOP

Independent scholar

DOI: 10.1002/9781118989463.wbeccs029

A brand mascot is an embodied personification of the values and qualities of a particular brand identity. Presented as emblematic of the personality of a brand or product, brand mascots have long been used as a means of engaging consumers and of differentiating products in the marketplace. Featured in advertisements since the late nineteenth century, brand mascots have become an integral feature of consumer culture and are now beginning to develop an online presence in the world of social media.

The first instance of creating a mascot to represent a brand is attributed to André and Edouard Michelin, who worked with artist Marius Rossillon to produce the Michelin Man, or Bibendum, in 1898. In 1916 US brand Planter's released its mascot, Mr. Peanut, an anthropomorphic nut dressed in top hat and spats; and, also in the United States, the cartoon figure referred to as the Jolly Green Giant was created to represent Green Giant Peas in 1925. Shortly afterward, a further range of enduring brand mascots entered consumer culture. Kellogg's produced elfin icons Snap, Crackle, and Pop in 1936; Tony the Tiger was created for Kraft in 1951; and the Pillsbury Doughboy was produced for Pillsburyin 1965. Each of these early mascots has maintained a presence in the consumer marketplace of the twenty-first century and has become a recurring image in the world of brand marketing.

A number of brand mascots feature ...