Foam Mascots: Pros and Cons

From sporting events to local festivals, mascots can be seen everywhere! Custom mascots come in various shapes, sizes, and designs. The material that mascots are made from directly impacts the design and functionality of the costume. Due to this, you may find yourself asking the question “What are mascots made of?”. A common custom mascot material is sculpted or vacuum sealed foam. To find out if foam mascots are right for you, we’ve compiled a list of pros and cons based on the knowledge we’ve gathered from our 45 years of experience creating mascots.

The Pros of Foam Mascots

Lightweight

Foam mascots won’t weight your mascot performer down. They are lightweight, being about 2-6 pounds on the shoulders. Now, that’s a weight off your performer’s shoulders!

Photogenic

Get that camera ready! Foam mascots are typically on the larger side, which allows for eye-catching details. Whether it be on the field, in the gym, or at an event, your foam mascot will always be ready for its close-up.

Great for Product Mascots and Racing Mascots

Put your foam mascot in the game! Famous racing mascots like the Mississippi State Racing Cowbells and the Cleveland Indians Racing Hot Dogs are all crafted from foam. A costume with a foam head is better for an active performer, especially if the performer will be tumbling.

From batteries to pancakes, foam can bring your products to life. Some foam product mascots include Energizer’s Battery Man mascot and Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast mascots. Foam’s shaping abilities easily can create life-size replicas of your brand’s unique products.

Branding

With their photogenic qualities and large size, foam mascots are a great brand marketing tool. Corporate companies have found lots of success with their mascot marketing efforts. For more mascot marketing ideas, check out our blog on how to turn your brand mascot into a celebrity.

The Cons of Foam Mascots

Duplication

Are you considering purchasing multiple duplicate mascots for your brand? At Olympus Mascots, our foam mascots are crafted 100% by hand. To ensure exact replication, we recommend an ABS plastic mold. If we have your mold on hand, you won’t even have to send in your mascot for future replications.

Cleaning

Foam acts as a sponge and absorbs all of your mascot performer’s sweat and odors. However, ABS plastic can easily be wiped down and sanitized with disinfectant wipes to keep it smelling fresh and clean. Foam mascots can be sprayed down with a disinfectant, but you must be careful so that the material is not over saturated.

Longevity

Over time, foam mascots will begin to disintegrate, causing the mascot costume to lose its original shape. Typically, foam mascots have a shorter shelf life than ABS plastic mascots. If you’re looking for a long-lasting costume, we recommend a custom mascot with a plastic form.

Transportation

When creating your custom mascot, a good item to consider is how your mascot costume will be transported from Point A to Point B. How is your brand character traveling to your school or company’s various events and activities? Due to their large shape, foam mascots provide some traveling difficulties, especially in cars. Along with this, make sure to measure in advance any doorways or walkways to ensure your mascot can fit everywhere you need it to! Often times, foam mascots introduce transportation difficulties. If that is the case, you may want to consider constructing a mascot from a plastic material.

From branding to cleaning, there are various pros and cons associated with foam mascots. It is important to evaluate your brand’s unique needs when choosing the material for your costume. Olympus Mascots will work with you to construct the perfect custom mascot for your school, company, or business!