Illustration by
Ron Head
Is it always a good idea to promote your brand
using a nostalgic mascot?
I recently created a series of ads for a client that had a lengthy rich history with a nostalgic mascot (Wiredhand Willie) as the ambassador for their organization. Over the years we've seen many great iconic characters wearing the cape for various household and consumer products and brands. Cracker Jack, Ronald McDonald, Chester Cheetah, Green Giant, Pillsbury Doughboy, Joe Camel, Charlie the Tuna, Tony the Tiger, Mr. Clean, Captain Crunch, the Energizer Bunny, Geico Gecko... the list goes on and on. I purposefully avoided listing mascots that in their day may have been very popular and served their products well, but ultimately faded due to certain reasons beyond their control.
So at what point should a brand mascot's life support be cut off? I believe that there are a number of factors to consider. First, is the mascot still relevant to it's audience? Another words, do people still connect with it? Are there sentimental or emotional ties where the mascot brings happy and relevant thoughts? I believe there is some truth in that people like to feel a special connection with a product or icon that they've grown up with. Another viable question would be, has the mascot kept up with the times? Does he still look the same as he did the day he was invented? And if so, why? Obviously technology continues to change on a weekly basis, if not daily, and unless your brand is agile and flexible enough to adapt an ever-changing world, it can be a dangerous place out there.
Several years ago a popular fashion manufacturer here in Dallas came on the scene creating a major trend with a nostalgic line of watches. Very retro styled art harkening back to the 40's, 50's and 60's era made up the designs for unique tins and watch faces that everyone became crazed with. I still have some of the cool tins in my office just because they remind me of that pure and simple Rockwellish past-time. I appreciate them more for some of the same reasons that many popular restaurants and retailers use them as props to convey a kitchy sort of hip, trendy attitude as the cool place to be. Nothing wrong with that, but if you've based your brand around that concept, is it really healthy? Is living in the past the best way to communicate who you are to consumers? I guess if you were selling antique lampshades or slightly used electric toasters it might make perfect sense. But as marketers, what criteria should we be using to determine if a company or product's brand mascot is something that their audience can relate to, and better yet be inspired to engage with.
As I mentioned earlier, many of the mascots I listed above have endured the test of time. Why? Well at first glance, they appear healthy and current. Speaking of current, Wiredhand Willie was first introduced in the marketplace back in 1951, and was preceded by Reddy Kilowatt, but due to great tensions and legalities over the use of the new icon, Willie went his way and Reddy went his (a story for another time). And oddly enough, both of these mascots are in limited circulation even to this day. On the surface, you look at Willie and quickly realize that he's really old! With his Mickey Mouse gloves held to the body with two flimsy wires connected to a heavy duty piece of insulated wire conduit, a head in shape of a bulb that looks like it belongs in the Smithsonian, and a torso in the shape of an industrial sized plug with electric prongs for legs, he's a sight for sore eyes. Obviously electricity has made many advancements in the past 60 years, so why is Willie still around? Maybe because his target audience is made up of mostly rural, farming communities that hold tightly to the traditions that they were raised in. Maybe because the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has great appreciation for the legacy that Willie represents. Or maybe the cooperative members (consumers) are an exclusive club that recognize and connect with Willie as an ambassador to the communities in which they reside. He and the brand are synonymous, actively involved in the lives of the people they serve. Supporting schools, boy scout troops, little leagues, community centers, etc. throughout the counties that they provide electricity for. Their members know who Willie is and what he stands for.
So back to our question. Is it always a good idea to promote your brand using a nostalgic mascot? My opinion is that as long as the mascot can maintain a connection with his or her followers, consumer, customers, that can be meaningful and maintain genuine loyalty, don't pull the plug. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.
