From Amul’s 2D girl to Dunzo’s 3D Harri and Dunya, here's how mascots have evolved over the years and what they stand for today

• After Vodafone’s ZooZoo and 7UP’s Fido Dido, new-age brands have stayed away from launching and nurturing a brand mascot.
• However, Dunzo’s endearing mascots Harri and Dunya testify that mascots still work and help you stand out in the clutter.
• We reached out to brand experts to understand if technology has impacted mascot marketing, what are some of the things that brands should consider before launching a mascot in today's time, and what should it talk about.

Growing up, we have seen the supremely charismatic Amul Girl comment on issues that nobody dared to refer to on public-forums. From government scandals to celebrity gossip to gender equality, the Amul Girl has spoken about it all unabashedly and continues to be loved by different kinds of audiences for the same reason even today!

However, after the iconic Nirma Girl, McDonald’s Ronald McDonald, Parle-G Girl, 7UP’s Fido, and Vodafone’s ZooZoo, brand mascots did not make an appearance for quite some time and made us wonder if mascots are a dying trend. Brands did not want to invest in a labour-intensive exercise that involved a lot of commitment, regularity, nurturing and of course, money to make it all happen.

And then Dunzo, a new-age home-grown delivery brand, dropped not one but two mascots, Harri and Dunya. Like Amul, its mascots also comment on status-quo with its well-known pun, swag and humor.

Many technological advancements have been introduced in our country since the Amul Girl was born and the marketing landscape continues to evolve with it. We reached out to experts to understand what benefits a brand can reap by launching a mascot in today’s highly-cluttered landscape, what are some of the factors they should take into consideration and what should today's mascot look like and talk about.

Experts opined that technological changes will come and go, but mascots will always offer a relatability factor -- a barrage of emotions packed in one image that helps connect the brand immediately with the audiences.

Karthik Srinivisan, Brand Consultant and Social Media Expert, said, “There's nothing technological about mascots, as I see it. Regardless of where a mascot is used, in what kind of media, the primary purpose is to enhance memorability and association. Whether the mascot is depicted in a billboard, or a print ad, or TVC or an Instagram post, the basic purpose transcends technology and medium.”

He said mascots offer higher recall value.

“A mascot's purpose has always been to extend a brand's marketing effort. If the mascot enhances the memorability of the brand, or makes it more relatable, that is a good consideration for the mascot's need. The most basic things that a brand should consider fall under common sense - that the chosen mascot doesn't lead to any negative association or perception,” added Srinivasan.

All mascots from the recent past like Harri, Dunya, ZooZoo and Fido are 3D illustrations that don’t just have a conversation and engage with consumers, they twirl, dance and even drive around on fictional streets. Albeit, experts we spoke to said dimensions don’t matter, message does.

Ambi Parameswaran, Founder, Brand-Building.com said, “I am not sure if you can do better advertising simply because you can create a 3D image. I still believe the simple 2D of Amul Girl is one of my favourites.”

Giving us an example, he said, “In recent times, Nippon Paint has used the colourful blobs, called Blobbies as an integral element on their campaign. These are 3D images that paint your walls and is an extension of something the brand has done abroad. I think the intelligent use of the mascots has helped the brand standout in the celebrity clutter that we see in all brand advertising, and also in paint advertising. I would rate it as a breakthrough in recent years.”

“The mascot today becomes a bot when injected with technology. Interfaces can change, but the core persona of the bot must not,” seconds Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, whose favourite brand mascot is Asian Paints' Gattu!

Bijoor explained, “A Brand Mascot is a relationship that is forever. It is all about a more long-lasting engagement with the consumer than in the case of celebrities roped in to promote a brand. Keeping this in mind, it is important for mascots to embody the brand with a certain degree of personal integrity. Mascots must therefore embody within themselves the DNA of the brand in question. Integrity and a complete emotive-ability with the consumer is a core must.”

Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting said that even if the consumers move to a dominant digital environment, consumers will continue to remain humans and will always look for that human and emotional connect.

Highlighting how mascots can be used to break clutter, Mitra said, “A mascot has the power to be leveraged across multi-media platforms from advertising to social media conversations to technology interfaces to activation programs as demonstrated effectively and endearingly by the Vodafone ZooZoos. While usage on one static medium such as packaging aids strengthening of the visual identity of brands, mascots are not done full justice when used that way. Relationships will continue to have a special place in consumers' lives, only the formats of engaging will evolve. The recent COVID lockdown times have shown how people from across the world have continued to strengthen their bonds leveraging technology. Mascots such as the Amul girl have shown that consumers do not tire themselves of relevant and engaging day to day conversations over decades.”

Amul Girl steals the show

Mascots can help personify the brand, maintain a voice, stand out in the clutter of celebrity endorsers, and establish the brand in an endearing, memorable and meaningful manner.

Today, audiences also expect brands to have an opinion on political and social issues, stand for a cause and sell eco-friendly products. So, in today’s advanced social and technological landscape, what should your brand’s new mascot look like and talk about? All experts had one response to this question. Refer to Amul Girl.

“Amul Girl remains right on top. This is mainly because unlike Asian Paints' Gattu or the Parle Girl, Amul has made contemporary use of their mascot in many kinds of topical situations through their everyday ads. Merely creating a logo and using it only in brand marketing is one thing, but Amul has gone beyond using it in marketing, and in a way made us think of Amul when we see the mascot in any context. That's the true success of a mascot - to bring people back to the brand every time they stumble on it even without the brand's name mentioned next to it,” said Srinivisan.

“Mascots such as the Amul girl have shown that consumers do not tire themselves of relevant and engaging day to day conversations over decades,” said Mitra.

So to conclude, experts said that a brand mascot should bring alive the brand narrative and its point-of-view. It will still help create a long-term relationship with your consumer if connected on a daily basis. Your brand would not have to worry about technological advancements and changing media landscape, mascots can be omnipresent and immortal.