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8 Creative Mascot Marketing Ideas Used During Coronavirus

8 Creative Mascot Marketing Ideas Used During Coronavirus

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, many of us have uprooted our daily lives to abide with the new rules that the world suddenly tossed our way. This applies to people across different sectors, such as healthcare staff, essential workers, and many business owners. During these uncertain times when morale seems a little shaky, some organizations have been using their custom mascot characters to spread joy and positivity for our communities.

These mascots are great examples of businesses and organizations exercising their creative muscles during the coronavirus pandemic. In their attempts to connect with fans and customers, the mascot marketing ideas are only getting more imaginative with each passing day. Even though COVID-19 has imposed some strict restrictions on our physical boundaries, there is no limiting the innovation of how mascots are being used!

We put together a list of eight creative examples of how mascots are being used during the coronavirus pandemic. How many of these cool mascot marketing ideas do you recognize?

1. The Oregon Duck Mascot (University of Oregon Ducks)

University of Oregon

There have been many creative mascot marketing ideas during the pandemic, particularly on social media. One good example is demonstrated by The Oregon Duck from the University of Oregon. While many school mascots have found ways to stay optimistic during quarantine, The Oregon Duck posted a video on social media chronicling his ongoing struggle.

In this funny viral video, the duck mascot is in home quarantine and communicates with his neighbour via written notes. These messages reveal that he has tragically run out of gummy bears, has watched an overabundance of Game of Thrones, and apparently is in dire need of toilet paper. The mascot then offers to do push-ups if the neighbour would share some supplies with him.

While this isn’t the most optimistic take at quarantine life, it is one that many can find relatable. This funny, satirical video has been positively received, accruing thousands of likes on social media since March.

2. Roger the Mascot (Peterborough Petes)

Roger, named after the respected NHL icon Roger Neilson, is a sports mascot from the Peterborough Petes Hockey Club in Ontario. Like many sports mascots during the pandemic, Roger hasn’t been able to cheer on his community as much as he would love to do. Naturally, this hasn’t stopped the energetic dog mascot from finding a way to boost spirits around his neighbourhood!

Earlier in April, this mascot hopped into his car and began to provide some drive-by greetings to nearby residents. Keeping a safe distance within the vehicle, Roger greeted the residents who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and special milestones. As Peterborough residents cope with the new normal, this mascot’s thoughtful gesture did wonders to elevate the local community’s morale.

3. Gritty the Mascot (Philadelphia Flyers)

Philadelphia Flyers

Anyone who is familiar with the Philadelphia Flyers will be acquainted with their current mascot, Gritty. This wild, fuzzy, googly-eyed hockey fan is immediately recognizable from afar. Due to the uncertainty of this year’s NHL season, the hockey mascot hasn’t been able to support his team to the fullest extent. Fortunately, Gritty has been very active on social media, even featuring in an Instagram Live series to connect with his adoring fans.

With the help of Gritty, the Philadelphia Flyers is also currently selling some pretty nifty Flyers face masks for charity. The proceeds of these sales will go towards COVID-19 community relief efforts. Fans can help donate to a charitable cause and also get to support their favourite team in style.

4. Quaran Mascot (Japan)

For those who are unfamiliar, Japan has a long tradition of creating cute mascot characters to educate citizens about social taboos or the more mundane lessons in life. This means there are character mascots designed for a wide breadth of topics. You will find mascots for public service announcements, law enforcement, and civic politics. Naturally, even the coronavirus has a special designated mascot.

Created by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Quaran is a mascot affectionately nicknamed after the concept of home quarantine. This cute depiction of the coronavirus was designed to promote hand washing and practice social distancing. Characterized as a small fairy, Quaran is a bright yellow mascot with a big letter ‘Q’ emblazoned on its forehead.

This character goes well with another mascot, the Awawa mascot from Shinjuku, also known as the Soap Bubble Hero. The Shinjuku Awawa is a mascot that stands for hand washing and good hygiene. Together, these adorable mascots might just help to normalize the COVID-19 safety protocols that people must take for the foreseeable future.

5. Clutch the Bear Mascot (Houston Rockets)

Houston Rockets

Many mascots have taken to social media for a humorous depiction of their new quarantine life. For the Houston Rockets mascot, Clutch the Bear has decided to entertain himself with the sport of ping-pong. In an adorable video posted to social media, the bear stands ready at a classic ping-pong table, before he is joined by a lookalike for a quick match.

During the ping-pong match, Clutch has some pretty clever moves to share with the viewers. However, the game almost ends in tragedy as the ball is suddenly smacked right into Clutch’s throat. Thankfully, his partner was able to save him, leading to a happy ending for the video. This short one-minute video served as a fun, cheerful diversion from the daily grind of COVID-19.

6. Ram the Mascot (Gorham High School)

In a similar move to the previous entry, the lovable Ram of the Gorham High School in Maine created a mascot video worth sharing. In this online video, Ram is shown sporting his best dance moves, set to the backdrop of “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars. These moves are followed by Ram playing drums, taking a basketball shot, and simply being a delight to watch.

The mascot has also called upon his fellow costumed icons to follow his lead. This is all in the hopes of bringing students together once more, so that they can laugh at their goofy mascot from the safety of their homes. Hopefully, this mascot video will bring a bit of connection to friends who have been separated during these tough times.

7. Covid-kun Mascot (Thailand)

The country of Thailand has introduced a marketing mascot to raise COVID-19 awareness among kids. Shaped like a single red virus particle, Covid-kun is a cartoonish personification of the coronavirus. Its dark red body is covered with three eyes, fanged teeth, and plenty of spikes. This mascot teaches children about the social distancing etiquette, along with friendly reminders to practice hand hygiene on a regular basis.

8. Rival Sports Mascots (Montclair State University)

In Parsippany, New Jersey, Daniel Waffenfeld from Montclair State University came up with a terrific idea for a mascot video. He assembled a group of twenty college mascots, known for their intense rivalries with each other, in an epic video collaboration. While the idea was a simple one, it did take a fair amount of effort to organize. Fortunately, the video ended up being a lovely sentiment, spreading optimism and kind words among the fans.

The above mascot marketing ideas are just some of the brilliant creativity demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you would like to use a custom mascot for your marketing campaigns, the Hogtown Mascots experts can gladly offer our help!