These are some of the world’s largest, most powerful brands that are attempting to come across as more lovable and friendlier.
Tech companies such as Microsoft and Apple have recently unveiled new mascots in cartoon form – a popular marketing technique which experts say aims to make the brand seem more human and relatable. Apple’s blue and white, large-headed character, “Little Finder Guy” was launched on social media videos back in March and has been met by generally positive reception.
Years after being discontinued from Microsoft’s operating system, the virtual assistant Clippy is now getting new life and new characters have been introduced for AI assistant, Copilot.
The character – named Mico by the tech firm – resembles a round, smiling sphere and the company says that Mico is “not a mascot but an optional visual identity for Copilot.” Mico is, according to Microsoft, “expressive, customizable, and warm and makes voice interactions with the AI feel more natural.”
There are several reasons why brands may wish to promote themselves with the help of a character. Data gathered from a study published in 2019 indicates that businesses that advertise with the help of mascots increase their market share by a significant 37%.
“They give a face, a voice and indeed a personality to a brand which, for many, can feel cold and faceless,” says Anthony Patterson, a professor of marketing at Lancaster University Management School.
Existing characters are also being given a modern twist. Last September Google updated its existing alien mascot – known as “Snoo” – and launched an app that can turn your face into the mascot which even changes its clothing according to your style. It recently celebrated 25 years on YouTube by adding a number of new animations and features. Reddit also gave Snoo an update in 2023.
The search engine also unveiled a number of new characters for its operating system back in 2020 which have recently been given even more animations and personality. As the mascot to their own operating system they use a green robot called “Android”. Last September they released an app that allows users to have an “Androidified” selfie with a version of their robot mascot which will also conform to users’ clothing and personal style. Last September the brand launched an app where users could take selfies that featured a robot version of their “Android” mascot and was also equipped with features to tailor the mascot to users’ style and clothes. Last year the company revealed a host of new animations.
Mozilla’s Firefox mascot has also been updated, being re-imagined as a full character called “Kit” in March this year. John Solomon, Director of Marketing for Mozilla, commented on the redesign of the cool, simple Firefox logo which has now been completely updated to rival competitors Chrome, Safari and Edge.
However, not everybody is charmed. Nathalie Nahai who has been interviewed by various media organizations for her book about psychology and technology states that the resurgence of mascots may be connected with the growing distrust towards tech giants.
“People are having a relationship breakdown with technology,” she says. “Brands such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft have a “cold tech power” brand image and a cute mascot can be a quick way to warm that up.”
She also warns about the potential combination of AI and mascots: “They are able to build a personal relationship with individuals, something which concerns many experts.”
“The danger is when we start talking to our individual brand mascots one-on-one and they are persuaded to get us to do certain things; that’s worrying,” adds Anthony Patterson. “They create familiarity and if someone is familiar with a mascot from a very young age then they’ll most likely have a positive association with the brand for many years to come,” says Anthony Patterson.
However Microsoft has received a positive reaction to the new character and has also ensured that the new feature is an opt-in to make sure no one feels uncomfortable. The highly recognizable green owl from Duolingo’s app is another highly recognizable mascot. Their head of marketing Kat Chan says that “Duo has become more than just a mascot; it is a character that our community connects with.” Experts suggest the large heads and eyes of mascots are a characteristic that taps into babies’ features which naturally evokes a feeling of cuteness in humans.
Mascots have been a key marketing tool since the 1960s but in recent decades have been gradually dropped. Some sports clubs still use them, just as they have done since the 19th century. However, in recent years they have enjoyed a revival and the tech industry isn’t the only sector embracing them: Penguin has re-launched its classic penguin mascot with new images to give it a modern and warm feel. However, the Camel cigarettes brand had its fair share of negative attention during the period in which it relied on its “Joe Camel” mascot.
Consumers are far more savvy and less easily manipulated these days and Nathalie Nahai states that they are more skeptical about their interaction with the brands. However, she points out that these techniques are still incredibly effective with the younger generation who haven’t grown up with the cynicism surrounding marketing and brands today.
