Brand Mascot Names in the Wild

Let’s talk brand mascot names. Do you have a favorite? Maybe from school or sports, or even from a product or company? If your answer is — yes, of course I have a favorite mascot! — then one burning question remains: Do you know its name?

To my naming delight, there’s a database with hundreds of North American mascot names. It’s maintained by the one and only Mascot Hall of Fame. Its founder is the original Phillie Phanatic, famous mascot of Major League Baseball’s Philadelphia Phillies. (Coincidentally, for more on the Phanatic see this Zinzin blog post.)

But back to the business at hand — the business of mascots in branding. Specifically, let’s take a fun look at names (what else?!) and explore how a mascot can support — and even elevate — a brand.

First, what exactly is a mascot?

According to Merriam-Webster, a mascot is a person, animal or object adopted by an organization as a symbolic figure, especially to bring them good luck.

Wikipedia expands on this definition of mascot by including anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. It also offers an interesting etymology:

The word ‘mascot’ originates from the French term ‘mascotte’ which means lucky charm. This was used to describe anything that brought luck to a household. The word was first recorded in 1867 and popularised by a French composer Edmond Audran who wrote the opera La mascotte, performed in December 1880. The word entered the English language in 1881 with the meaning of a specific living entity associated with a human organization as a symbol or live logo. However, before this, the terms were familiar to the people of France as a slang word used by gamblers. The term is a derivative of the word ‘masco’ meaning sorceress or witch. Before the 19th century, the word ‘mascot’ was associated with inanimate objects that would be commonly seen such as a lock of hair or a figurehead on a sailing ship. From then to the twentieth century, the term has been used in reference to any good luck animals, objects etc., and more recently including human caricatures and fictional creatures created as logos for sports teams.

While Western culture popularized the modern mascot, something tells me mascots, as symbols to bring good luck, date back much further. For instance, the genealogy of mascots arguably has roots in ancient Chinese, Greek, and Norse mythologies.

Centuries later, the word mascot often brings to mind humans dressed in large, colorful fuzzy costumes to bond with an audience, like the famous San Diego Chicken. When done right, mascots do more for a brand that meets the eye.

Why are mascots important to a brand?

These days, mascots are more than just an animal or costume. It’s a way to extend, support, and add personality to a brand’s story. In turn, this creates an opportunity to connect with audiences on an emotional level, ultimately creating trust and brand loyalty.

A great article by Yichan Wang in The Branding Journal further explores The Power of Mascots in Elevating Brand Narratives:

A mascot’s true value lies in its comprehensive use as a character with its own backstory. This character should align with the brand yet have its own distinct personality. The mascot’s ability to take on a life of its own, even running rogue at times, adds depth, creates intrigue, and fosters a more dynamic brand persona.

Duolingo’s mascot, Duo the Owl, serves as a compelling case study. While Duo is an integral part of Duolingo’s brand identity, the mascot also plays out a menacing facet on social media, which has become a sensation particularly among Gen Z audiences. This aspect of Duo’s character is distinct from Duolingo’s brand identity, but has been key to the mascot’s appeal and success, especially on platforms like TikTok. The looming, relentless character of Duo, reminding users to complete their language lessons, has become an iconic part of the brand’s image. Yet, it remains distinct and separate from the more straightforward educational aspect of Duolingo itself.

Another example is a new mascot, named Chewbie, launched by the candy brand HI-CHEW. According to HI-CHEW’s press release, Chewbie is all about spreading joy. With a friendly energy and mischievous attitude, Chewbie encourages fans to choose fun and embrace being their authentic selves. Chewbie even has its own unique, whimsical language, Chewlish, to further demonstrate the brand’s personality.

Bring on the brand mascot names!*

Together with recent mascots like Duo the Owl and Chewbie, there are lots of established, widely-recognized mascots for brands and sports teams alike.

2024 inductees to the Mascot Hall of Fame

• Jaxson de Ville — Jacksonville Jaguars
• Lou Seal — San Francisco Giants
• Monte — University of Montana
• Orbit — Houston Astros (More on Orbit in this Zinzin blog post)

A smattering of brand mascot names

The following list of mascot names is a sampling from consumer brands, services, and sports teams. Some mascot names mirror a company’s name, but are included for variety and to demonstrate the difference between a powerful evocative name and one that’s descriptive.

• Aubie the Tiger — Auburn University
• Bobby Banana — Dole
• Buc-ee — Bucc-ee’s (More on Buc-ee’s in this Zinzin blog post)
• Bullseye — Target
• Cane III — Raising Cane’s
• Chester Cheetah — Cheetos
• Chick-Fil-A Cows — Chick-Fil-A
• Chuck E. Cheese — Chuck E. Cheese’s
• Crash Test Dummies — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Duck — Aflac
• Dugout — Little League, Intl.
• Energizer Bunny — Energizer Batteries
• English Bulldog — U.S. Marine Corps
• Firehawk — Firestone
• Freedom the Eagle — USA Baseball
• Goldy the G.O.A.T. — NFL Hall of Fame
• Gyrfalcon — U.S. Airforce
• Keebler Elf — Keebler
• Max — H&R Block
• McGruff the Crime Dog — National Crime Prevention Council
• Michelin Man, aka Bibendum — Michelin
• Mickey Mouse — Disney
• Mr. P — Pringles
• Mr. Peanut — Planters
• Pillsbury Doughboy — Pillsbury
• Pizza Pizza Guy — Little Caesar’s
• Prince Cheddward — Kellogg’s
• Ronald McDonald — McDonald’s
• Smokey Bear — U.S. Forest Service
• Snoo — Reddit
• Spuddy Buddy — Idaho Potato Commission
• The Counting Sheep — Serta
• The Geico Gecko — Geico
• The Phryges — 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
• Tony the Tiger — Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
• Tubby — Duke’s Mayonnaise
• Youppi! — NHL Montreal Canadiens

The Salesforce team of brand mascots

Salesforce is a company that created an entire team of characters and mascots to represent different aspects and features of its platform:

• Appy the Bobcat
• Astro Nomical
• Blaze the Wolf
• Brandy the Fox
• Chatty
• Cloudy the Goat
• Codey the Bear
• Earnie
• Einstein
• Flo the Flying Squirrel
• Flow Firefly
• Genie the Rabbit
• Hootie
• Koa the Dog
• Lionheart Astro
• Max the Mule
• Meta (probably now retired)
• Ruth the Elephant
• SaaSy
• Zig the Zebra

Some weird and wonderful brand mascots

There’s a whole category of lesser known sports mascots, which happens to be my favorite category (because the names are so memorable, weird, or just make me smile). So, I’ve included my top six favorites from the Mascot Hall of Fame:

• Abe the Railsplitter — Lincoln Memorial University
• Alfredo the Angry Acorn — Menlo College
• Ballapeno the Jalapeño — San Antonio Missions
• Barley — Hillsboro Hops
• The Troll — Trinity Christian College
• Zippy the Kangaroo — University of Akron

Parting Thoughts

Like brand names, the best mascot names should always support the brand’s positioning. Moreover, the best names uplift and inspire, although some do a better job than others.

For instance, a few professional sports team names and mascots changed in recent years due to a cultural and societal shift. You can check out our naming thoughts on that topic in this blog post: American brand names & Indigenous cultures: changing the narrative.

I also think it’s important to remember that mascots can be lots of fun too. Once upon a time, I, myself, had the distinct privilege of dressing up in a 7-foot duck mascot costume for a youth tobacco prevention campaign in Texas.

On radio and on TV-spots, the DUCK was voiced by Tony Rock, younger brother of Chris Rock. Kids loved the DUCK who was a well-developed character strategically integrated into the campaign (which I officially worked on in my early ad agency years in a non-mascot capacity).

Lastly, I’d like to give a shout-out to a former local mascot, Mr. Pin, a giant dancing bowling pin who “Cha-Cha Slid” his way into the hearts of families across the East Bay at countless kids’ birthday parties before Albany Bowl closed its doors.

* Source: Mascot Hall of Fame

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Do you have a favorite mascot? Tell us about it in the comment section below!