ABSTRACT

Tony the Tiger. The Pillsbury Doughboy. The Michelin Man. The Playboy bunny. The list of brand mascots, spokes-characters, totems and logos goes on and on and on.

Mascots are one of the most widespread modes of marketing communication and one of the longest established. Yet, despite their ubiquity and utility, brand mascots seem to be held in comparatively low esteem by the corporate cognoscenti. This collection, the first of its kind, raises brand mascots’ standing, both in an academic sense and from a managerial perspective.

Featuring case studies and empirical analyses from around the world – here Hello Kitty, there Aleksandr Orlov, beyond that Angry Birds – the book presents the latest thinking on beast-based brands, broadly defined. Entirely qualitative in content, it represents a readable, reliable resource for marketing academics, marketing managers, marketing students and the consumer research community. It should also prove of interest to scholars in adjacent fields, such as cultural studies, media studies, organisation studies, anthropology, sociology, ethology and zoology.

chapter 1|16 pages

Mascot Mania

Monkeys, meerkats, Martians and more

part I|72 pages

Man

chapter 2|16 pages

Objectification and Anthropomorphism of the Self

Self as brand, self as avatar

chapter 3|20 pages

‘What are you Looking at, Ya Hockey Puck?!'

Anthropomorphizing brand relationships in the Toy Story trilogy

chapter 4|21 pages

Cross Domain Perceptual Realities and Mickey Mouse

Monkeys, meerkats, Martians and more

chapter 5|13 pages

Morris the Cat or the Wolf-Man on the Upper West Side

Animal metaphors and me

part II|74 pages

Beast

chapter 7|13 pages

Boudoirs, Cowdillacs and Rotolactors

A salutary tale of Elsie the brand mascot

chapter 8|18 pages

Peppa Piggy in the Middle of Marketers and Mashup Makers

A netnography of absurd animation on YouTube

chapter 9|22 pages

Anthropomorphic Brand Presenters

The appeal of Frank the Sheep

part III|54 pages

Wild

chapter 10|10 pages

Spokes-Characters

Assurance, insurance and advice for marketers

chapter 11|16 pages

Schmoozy Fox

Standing out from the pack

chapter 12|13 pages

Only You can Prevent Brand Burnout

Cultural branding and the case of Smokey Bear

chapter 13|13 pages

Shooting the Elephant

Mascots and me

part IV|60 pages

Crazy

chapter 14|21 pages

Anthropogenic Anthropopathous Anthropomorphic Uspto Trademarks

The Plant People Phenomenon model of anthropomorphism

chapter 15|15 pages

He Who Must not be Named

An exploratory study of demonic narratives in contemporary brands

chapter 17|10 pages

Coats of Arms

The role of animal emblems in contemporary luxury and fashion industry

chapter 18|11 pages

The Cosmic Serpent Surrounds US

Future directions in mascot marketing