In my LinkedIn posts, I spoke extensively about mascots in branding, including going over my favorites and even how to create your own. It’s been… awhile… since I wrote about this topic, so I want to revisit this topic and see what I have to say on it 5 years later.
Let’s get the big topic out of the way: I still believe that mascots can be a HUGE boon to your brand!
A couple of years ago, I began collecting designer/art toys (think figures and plush similar to Labubu). Little did I know, before I began collecting these, that there was an even bigger world out there to mascots than what I had initially pictured. With DesignerCon in California, Five Points Fest in NYC, and CollectedCon in Chicago, I knew I just had to make it to one of these shows.
And I did! I met Beans, designed by Josh Divine, at the CollectedCon shows on Navy Pier in 2024 and 2025. I was so inspired by the many styles that I wanted to try my hand at creating some designs of my own (besides the Breadheads).
The inspirations for these figures is so varied, I’m not sure I could go over it all! Picture the plastic toys with the long limbs that encase some wire and bend to any angle. Or a Smeargle from Pokemon. Or, what would a reverse mermaid look like if it were a silly little guy?
Where am I going with this? Well, think about this… your mascot, if it were to gain enough notoriety, could be an additional stream of income! And it doesn’t HAVE to be an art figure (although 3D printing is certainly getting up there). Stickers, plush, or other types of merchandise will be so much more endearing if there is a smile backing it up.
I don’t want to harp on Labubu, but if you’ve been any kind of aware online, you’ve seen the absolute chokehold they have on the market. I’ve covered this topic before, but crossovers and other types of special editions can be your best friend if you play your cards right!
Here’s some really cool special edition Sitting Yoki figures by Yoyo Yeung. They were made specially for the Shanghai Toy Show.
If you’re an artist yourself, likely you’ve seen specific crossovers such as a particular artist teaming up with another. The people at Pickagram – a magnetic 3D tangram – designed their toys with art pieces both classic and modern.
This Pickagram toy/figure, for instance, was designed alongside Shawn Smith of Shawnimals. What an opportunity!
Obviously, I’m not here to make a case for making “Lafufus” that are branded for your business. What I am saying is that a little bit of creativity magic goes a long way.
Does all of the talk of designer toys sound too modern for your brand? Have no fear! Toys for brands have been around since, like, forever. It’s hard to say how long because of how intertwined toys are with advertising. A toy inspires an advertisement, an advertisement inspires a toy. What I do know is that the big boom for cereal toys took place between the 50s and the 80s as you might expect. When it comes to advertising products that kids consume, you have to be careful about the ethics, of course, but that’s another topic.
And if you don’t have access to a 3D printer? There’s clever ways to use your inkjet or laser printer and create paper figures that stand up. There’s a multitude of ways – a circle bases like you might use when dying eggs, a cutout around the feet of the figure, or a few well-placed bridges on the back.
Also, #NotSponsored, but acrylic can do a lot for you. Websites like Wooacry and Acrymee allow you to upload your own image and order a few figures that stand up all on their own. I ordered this figure of my PNGtuber avatar Snickerdoodle, and he even spins! I’ve seen multi layer pieces, those with special effects, and of course, figures with movement. And guess what? I would be happy to help create a figure as described for you!
Are you feeling inspired? Do you want to create a branded figure of your own? Wouldn’t it be fun to have your very own mascot for your business sitting on your desk?