Creating a Mascot Drawing: Why and How?
Making a mascot drawing gives your brand a real personality. Just like your brand name, logo, or slogan, a mascot is a powerful tool to connect with your customers! A great mascot can make people remember your brand for life.
Here’s why and how to create a mascot drawing that fits your marketing strategy.
Why Create a Mascot Drawing?
A Mascot Improves Your Brand Image
A mascot is a character that represents your brand or business. It doesn’t have to look like your products.
Example: A tiger doesn’t really have anything to do with cereal, but it works!
But your mascot should always look friendly, so people feel good about your brand—even if your products are boring. That’s why mascots usually look like happy cartoon hero characters.
A mascot gives your brand a positive image and makes it more popular with your target customers. It helps you stand out and makes your marketing more memorable.
When a brand has a mascot, it’s easier to be different from the competition. People remember you, and your ads have a bigger impact.
A Mascot Builds Customer Attachment
Mascots have lots of benefits:
- They last a long time
- They make your brand’s look stronger
- Most of all, they help you connect emotionally with your customers
This is especially true for kids. Even as adults, we remember the mascots from our favorite cereals! But mascots work for adults, too.
Adults can love your mascot and enjoy following its adventures year after year. A mascot gives your marketing a story and a friendly face.
As a fun and friendly figure, a mascot helps you share your message. People trust you more when they feel good about your character.
How to Succeed at Creating a Mascot Drawing: The Basics
A good mascot needs to avoid mistakes that could hurt your brand! Here’s what to do before you start designing.
Storytelling: Imagine Your Mascot’s Story First
Start by thinking about your mascot’s identity. Every mascot has its own story. Before you draw, decide what role your mascot will play.
Use storytelling! Give your mascot a background and a personality. The more unique and interesting your mascot is, the more people will love it. Some customers might even see themselves in your character!
Your mascot’s personality will show in how it talks (if it can speak) and how it moves. The goal is to make people want to interact with your mascot.
This is also when you pick a name. Make it easy to remember so people can talk about your mascot and become its fans.
By making your mascot feel human and giving it adventures, you’ll win over your audience.
Define Your Mascot’s Abilities and Limits
Ask yourself:
- Can your mascot talk? If so, it needs a mouth and a voice.
- Can it move? If so, it needs arms and legs.
These questions sound simple, but some mascots aren’t really made to move!
Examples: a fruit, a peanut covered in chocolate, etc.
- Will your mascot appear at public events? If yes, don’t make it too complicated to turn into a costume.
Avoid Stereotypes
A good mascot shouldn’t be tied to any physical, cultural, or social cliché!
Don’t give your mascot an ethnic look or use any kind of negative stereotype. Avoid anything that could cause controversy.
Don’t Let Your Mascot Outshine Your Brand
Make sure your mascot is always linked to your brand.
Your mascot is just one part of your marketing. All your tools should work together to reach your goals.
Always show your mascot with your logo or slogan.
Let Your Mascot Evolve Over Time
Even if you design your mascot perfectly, it should change a little over the years. Your marketing and mascot should keep up with new trends.
Don’t change your mascot’s look all the time! Too many changes will confuse your fans. But don’t let it get outdated, either. Find a balance—make small updates so people get used to the new look.
You can update your mascot’s story to explain its new look, too.
Steps to Create a Mascot Drawing
Like any branding element, creating a mascot takes several steps.
First Sketches
Start by drawing your mascot’s main features. It can be a person, animal, or even an object.
- Think about what your customers like (use your customer personas).
- Use your products’ features to inspire your mascot’s look. Example: the Michelin Man is made of tires.
Expressions
Once you know what your mascot looks like, think about the different faces and moods it will have.
2D or 3D?
You can choose 2D or 3D for your mascot. If you want 3D, make sure to draw it from all sides.
Coloring
Color brings your mascot to life! Don’t forget to add shadows and highlights.
Conclusion
As you can see, creating a mascot takes planning. Think carefully before you start.
So:
- Make a character everyone can relate to
- Give your mascot a unique personality
- Make it look special and able to change over time
- Always link it to your other branding so it doesn’t outshine your brand
To make a mascot that really works, you need a pro artist who can handle every step and help your mascot grow over time.
It’s easy—just post your project on the Cartoonely platform. We’ll find the perfect artist for your mascot project!