Coming up with a mascot idea for your school, sports team, or organization can be a difficult process. Especially if your brand is not already associated a character, persona, or animal. With so many options to choose from, this process can be overwhelming. This is why we have created a list of some popular mascot ideas to help you narrow down your search. We’ve also included the associated characteristics of each idea, this way you can best select a mascot that represents your brand.
If you find yourself leaving this blog with several different ideas, consider creating a poll. A poll that is voted on by your customers, students, or employees can be a great way to get the community involved in the creation of your mascot. It may even help you get some financial interest if you find yourself starting a fundraising campaign!
To start, we recommend asking yourself some key questions:
Essentially, you are asking yourself what your brand’s personally is, and what makes your organization valuable. Maybe your products are top notch in quality, maybe your customers are extremely satisfied with your customer service, maybe your students graduate ready to take on the world. All of these things are qualities that a mascot can communicate through its presence and actions in your community.
Let’s say you have a football team that’s fiercely competitive, you may find yourself gravitating towards a tiger, warrior, or a wolverine mascot. If you’re part of a school that preps students for college, you may want something courageous like a knight or a pioneer. If your organization works with young kids, something cute like a teddy bear or a squirrel may be best. The mascot idea you pick should represent the values you wish for your organization to portray. At the end of the day, a mascot is a marketing tool. It’s used to not only show off your brand, but also interact with your customers and employees.
One thing we’re starting to see a lot of, is the usage of famous role models as mascots. We’ve seen mascots made to replicate legendary MLB players, famous pilots, and even world record holding dogs. If there is something or someone within your community that could become a larger than life character, consider using them as your mascot. After all, if you have the blessing and rights to use someone’s likeness, both parties can benefit from the cross-promotion.
If you need help matching values and characteristics to mascots a list of ideas is below:
| Mascot Ideas | |
|---|---|
|
Badger – independence, strength |
Monkey – fun, creativity, games |
|
Bear – strength, healing |
Otter – laughter, curiosity, fun |
|
Buffalo – endurance, strength courage |
Owl – wisdom, prestige |
|
Deer – power, gentleness |
Parrot – Color, freedom, creativity |
|
Dog – loyalty, pathfinder, friendship |
Rabbit – serenity, swiftness |
|
Dolphin – trust, loyalty, intelligence |
Raccoon – resourcefulness, clever |
|
Eagle – loyalty, freedom, sharpness |
Ram – strength, intelligence, bravery |
|
Fox – cunningness, speed, smarts |
Snake – mischievous, cunning |
|
Horse – strength, swiftness |
Squirrel – intelligence, fun, energy |
|
Lizard – agility, speed |
Turtle – wisdom, longevity |
|
Moose – wilderness, strength |
Wolf – pathfinder, knowledge, strength |
Make no mistake, even if you pick an idea that has been used several times before, this mascot is still going to be unique to you. There may be hundreds of lion, warrior, bulldog, knight, and eagle mascots out there, but there will only be one mascot out there that will have your brand’s logo, colors, and clothing on it.
Have you come up with a series of ideas and are having trouble picking just one? Why not let your community decide! As we touched on earlier, having your employees, students, or customers vote on a mascot idea is a great way to find a mascot that connects with them. Giving them a say in the direction of the mascot allows them to better connect with that mascot’s story. Sending out an email with a simple poll or allowing people to comment their own ideas is great way to get the ball rolling.
A mascot idea that has been created and approved by the community is more likely to get financed. Fundraising is a popular method for schools looking to buy a mascot, and having an idea that was voted on by the community is likely to get more support. Consider turning the fundraiser into a contest. In this contest, people vote toward their favorite mascot idea in the form of an online donation. Essentially, you are creating a bidding war. You can leave the amount donated open ended, or introduce a cap so that no donation is too overpowering.
Let’s say you have an idea in mind. Start developing this idea by researching examples of similar mascots. Researching examples allows you to see different design options for each individual type of character. This can give you a better idea of what you want your mascot to look like. You’ll be able to see different types of hands, fur, tails, and many more mascot design features that you may have not previously considered.
A prime place to look for examples is our gallery. Browse freely or use our search function if you have a particular animal or character in mind. When looking at examples, note the looks and features that you like and don’t like. Being able to present this information to a mascot designer will be a big help in finding a design that best suits your needs and expectations.
You can even take this one step further and host a drawing contest for your school or organization. Consider having members of your organization submit their own ideas for what they want the mascot to look like. This is a great way for your mascot to have its own personal touch from the members of your organization.
Below are some examples of popular mascot ideas:
Once you have your mascot idea and know what you want it to look like, it’s time to reach out to a mascot-making company to request a sketch of your mascot. A professional sketch starts to put all your ideas together, and begin your mascot purchasing journey. A sketch is usually accompanied by a quote for the mascot as well, which can give you a better idea of the cost of a mascot.
If you have a few ideas in mind or want us to help you develop an idea, fill out our form below. We provide mascot design services, manufacturing, repair, cleaning, and even mascot accessories, and we’ve been doing this for more than 45 years!
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