As a freelance illustrator Hohnstadt work on a variety of projects. Periodically he get calls from ad agencies, design firms, and business owners wishing to hire him to design a mascot to help promote their product or service.

‘Mascots’ are a part of our everyday lives. From the Pillsbury® Doughboy™, to the GEICO Gecko – mascots are a valuable part of marketing.

the advantages of having a mascot

Having a character or mascot to represent you in front of the public can have several advantages.

“Mascots get attention,” said Hohnstadt. “People are constantly bombarded with messages so you need to go the extra mile to stand out. Mascots get noticed. When people see a mascot they are more likely to stop and listen to what he/she/it has to say.”

“A good mascot is memorable. If an appealing character can work its way into the public consciousness it will become an instantly recognizable symbol for a product. When you look at the GEICO Gecko you immediately think of GEICO. You see the Pillsbury® Doughboy™ and think of gooey chocolate chip cookies. The company logo is barely an afterthought. The mascot says it all.”

Beyond branding, there’s more that mascots represent. As a friendly image, mascots are fun!

“They are entertaining to watch and send a positive message,” said Hohnstadt. “A likable character can instantly create a positive connection with your potential customers. It’s much harder to do that with only a logo.”

And there’s a lot of truth to that. While there are many memorable logos, such as the Nike swash, or Apple’s logo, there’s something about the mascot that adds a whole new element to the company. The mascot creates a relationship with the customer. It provides mass appeal.

“A good mascot can appeal to a wide demographic, across many age groups and backgrounds,” said Hohnstadt. “Mascots appeal to children as well as adults, extending your brand message to a wider audience. A mascot can even transcend languages and cultures.”

beyond the obvious…

Finally, there’s yet another reason to consider a mascot. Money.

“If a mascot becomes popular it opens the door for all sorts of profitable merchandise (clothing, toys, etc.) that can make you money while at the same time raising awareness of your product. Mars Inc., the makers of M&M’s, has opened several M&M’s retail stores, thanks in large part to the popularity of their cartoon mascots,” explained Hohnstadt.

To date Hohnstadt has worked on over 250 client projects, including projects whose end clients have included Disney, DreamWorks, Walmart, General Mills, Hasbro, Scholastic, Verizon, Hewlett-Packard, and Crayola.

speaking at motion09
Cedric Hohnstadt will be one of the ‘rock stars’ at motion09

10.11 – 10.14 2009 | abq | nm
motion | experience inspiration

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author: Elaine Montoya
motion.tv
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copyright: © 2008 – 09
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