Mascots on TikTok have become a popular trend that brings joy and entertainment to users. TikTok, a social media platform known for its short-form videos, has provided a space for mascots to showcase their performances, creativity, and interact with the online community. Mascots, which are characterized by their extravagant costumes and lively personas, have found a new outlet for their talents on TikTok. They can be seen dancing, lip-syncing, and engaging in challenges alongside regular users. With their colorful and expressive costumes, mascots bring a unique and captivating element to the platform. The appeal of mascots on TikTok is multi-faceted.
Marketing Briefing: Pop-Tarts and Cheez-Its’ buzz prove why mascots still matter for big brands
The outcome of the recent Pop-Tarts and Cheez-It college football bowls – where Pop-Tarts introduced its new mascot as the first “edible” mascot and Cheez-It responded in kind with its mascot noting that it was “non-edible,” generating significant social buzz for both brands – made it clear that mascots can still contribute breakthrough moments for brands.
As marketers grapple with fewer mass media moments and continued social media fragmentation, among other challenges to get people to pay attention to their brands, the appeal of mascots may grow for brands that don’t already have them. The ability to create a character that will appear across social platforms and potentially help a brand become more recognizable on those platforms is one reason for the interest, according to agency execs, who noted that mascots are essentially a cheat code to brand recall.
“The explosion of channels in which brands can show up is obviously pretty massive and has been for the last couple of years,” said Jesse Unger, head of strategy at Mother in Los Angeles. “When you create a character, it makes it a lot easier for the brand to then show up in a lot more nontraditional spaces.”
That sea of channels, as well as the challenges marketers face when getting consumers to see their brands as authentic, has likely given way to more willingness among some marketers to experiment with how their brands should appear and what they can do with them.
“There’s just a lot of freedom now and things you can do in that space where I would imagine that for companies that don’t have mascots, it’s easier than ever to create something and give it a personality,” said Kristen Thompson, svp and president of frozen and vegetables business unit at B&G Foods Inc., home of the Jolly Green Giant. “It’s probably more difficult for us.”
The iconic Jolly Green Giant will turn 100 next year, noted Thompson, who added that the company is figuring out how to make sure the mascot is still relevant and mulling how to bring him to TikTok. The Jolly Green Giant is just one example of how brands with long-standing mascots may have to take more care to figure out how to deploy them for today’s audiences.
Aside from social fragmentation and brand recall, another reason marketers may be vying for mascots could be the success of Duolingo’s unhinged owl Duo as the mascot has helped the brand to be part of culture. “For about a year, every creative review involves an idea like, What’s our Duolingo?” said Ben James, chief innovation officer at Gale Agency. “Everyone’s trying to chase that owl.”
“Mascots in a way are the perfect vessel for the age of social media,” said Nick Miaritis, chief client officer at VaynerMedia, who added that often brands can experiment with mascot content which can capture people’s attention because it feels similar to content that’s already on social feeds. “From an attention standpoint, [people are] either in or out so fast because it feels like [that content] belongs amidst the rest of what you’re seeing in your feeds.”
All that said, brands shouldn’t just create a mascot or aim to make something weird just to be weird or just because they can, explained Wade Alger, group creative director, GSD&M, adding that the agency reintroduced Fruit of the Loom’s “Fruit People” on TikTok last year with the aim of giving more brand personality on the platform.
“It’s the way you use them,” said Alger. “They have to be brand relevant. They can’t just be a character for a character’s sake.”
The appeal of mascots on TikTok is multi-faceted. Firstly, their energetic performances often go viral, attracting the attention of millions of viewers. By utilizing catchy music, engaging choreography, and vibrant visual effects, mascots create content that is visually appealing and entertaining.
3 Questions with Kecia Caffie, president of Zales at Signet Jewelers
There are so many digital ad/marketing channels. Which ones is Zales leveraging to connect with shoppers?
Today, we’re definitely much more social media than anything. We know that the influencers are becoming more and more important to us. One of the areas that there’s an opportunity for us to continue growing our presence is how we meet customers on TikTok. And then of course, we’ve not let go of email by any stretch of imagination, and using in-store client telling — that outreach from our team members and stores. I don’t know about you, but SMS is my favorite friend and the way I communicate with all humans. So that’s also a way that we’re reaching out to those customers who are loyal and that we want to continue to have more of that high-touch relationship with.
Linear ad spend is shrinking. Will Zales sun set that media spend?
I’m certainly not prepared to say that today that we would. But like every organization that spends money on marketing, we want to make sure that we’re being as efficient as we possibly can, and it’s hard to say one way or the other that you would certainly go 100% with that [strategy]. I’m definitely not prepared to say that yet.
As a legacy brand competing with DTC jewelry brands, how do you maintain a competitive edge?
One of the things that we did [last] year in order to make sure that our messaging was tight and on point for the current consumer is going back and refreshing all of our consumer insight data. We all know the last three years was a lot for everybody. So what we didn’t want to do is just rely on information that we’ve gathered from our customers and our current consumers prior to the pandemic. It was the right thing to go back, talk to them again. — Kimeko McCoy
In addition to their entertainment value, mascots on TikTok also serve as a source of inspiration and positivity. Many mascots use their platform to spread messages of inclusivity, body positivity, and acceptance. By sharing uplifting and motivational content, mascots become virtual role models that encourage others to embrace their uniqueness and overcome obstacles. Moreover, mascots on TikTok have also become a means of brand promotion and marketing. Many companies and organizations use mascots as part of their marketing strategy to attract a wider audience and increase brand recognition. By leveraging the popularity of TikTok, mascots bring visibility and exposure to their associated brands. Overall, mascots on TikTok have transformed the platform into a vibrant and inclusive space. They bring joy and entertainment to users, spread positive messages, and serve as a powerful tool for brand promotion. With their captivating performances and engaging content, mascots have become an integral part of the growing TikTok community..
Reviews for "Behind the Mask: Meet the Real People Behind TikTok's Mascots"
1. Jenny - 2 stars - I really didn't enjoy "Mascots on tiktok". I found it to be quite repetitive and unoriginal. It seemed like all the videos were just different mascots doing the same dance over and over again. The lack of variety and creativity made it boring to watch. I also didn't find it funny at all, which was disappointing because I usually enjoy comedy content on TikTok. Overall, I was quite disappointed with this trend and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Mike - 1 star - "Mascots on tiktok" is just not my thing. I don't understand the appeal of watching people in mascot costumes dancing around. It's not funny or entertaining to me at all. I also think it's a bit strange that this trend has gained so much popularity on TikTok. There are so many other interesting and creative videos on the platform that I would much rather watch. I just don't get why people enjoy this trend.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I tried to give "Mascots on tiktok" a chance, but I just couldn't get into it. The videos seemed too gimmicky and lacked any substance. It felt like watching the same thing over and over again, and I didn't find it engaging. Additionally, I think there are more talented creators on TikTok who deserve more recognition and views. I was disappointed by this trend and would prefer to see more original and creative content on the platform.