Creating a mascot is a creative, enjoyable experience - whether you’re starting from scratch, or are working from a concept or drawing. Once your idea starts to take shape, you’ll want to give it a name.
What will you call it? Cool mascot names can come from a range of sources and inspiration. Often the name is just the name of the character or animal the mascot represents, and it could be a human name followed by a reference to the animal (e.g. The Energizer Bunny).
We’d like to share a few pointers on how to develop a name for your mascot, using a few tried and true methods from some of the largest companies in the world.
Simplicity
The best answer is to keep it simple. Some of the world’s most noteworthy and popular mascots have been named simply what they are, tied in with the brand name. A few examples of this style of naming include; the Pillsbury Doughboy, and The Kool Aid Man. The Nesquik Bunny. This type of mascot name ensures the brand is always associated with the character, a powerful marketing technique for building brand awareness.
Alliteration
Alliteration has been a popular approach to naming mascots. With an alliteration, the name always sounds great, rolls off the tongue and is great for mascot name recall. There’s a reason so many organizations use alliteration to name their mascot - it’s because it works! It’s playful and fun. One of the first that might come to mind is Tony the Tiger, the charismatic Kellogg’s cereal mascot. Schools tend to name their mascots using alliteration too, from Troy the Trojan to Andy the Anteater, we’ve seen them all.
Tribute
Mascots names can sometimes have a deeper and more important meaning than might appear on the surface. Some mascots are in tribute to someone important to the team, company or school, be that a founder, a figure of historical significance or a family member or friend. KFC’s well known mascot Colonel Sanders, for example, represents the company’s founder. Rival fast food chain Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, made this chain’s mascot based on his daughter Wendy.
Rhyming
An age-old trick for naming a mascot, is to have a rhyming name that people can always remember, something that rhymes and adds an element of fun or humor. Two noteworthy examples of successful rhyming mascots would be the world’s leader burger chain’s Ronald McDonald and Colorado State University’s Cam the Ram.
Competition
If you want to get the school, community or your fans more engaged with your new mascot program, why not try out a naming competition? Hosting a competition for your mascot’s name is a great way to increase awareness, generate ideas and create an instant fan base for your new mascot.
Below are two examples of recent success using this method:
For more information about naming and creating a custom mascot feel free to contact our expert team at BAM Mascots. We will be happy to work with you to help design and create a fun, customized mascot, that will attract attention while engage your audience.
The BAM Mascots team blends creativity with manufacturing excellence to create an innovative, high-quality mascot for your school, sports team or organization. With more than 25 years experience in mascot design and manufacturing, and hundreds of mascots in our portfolio, the BAM team has the knowledge and skills to bring your dream mascot to life.
