Any PR pro is familiar with how difficult it can be to add key visual elements to an event or campaign to help draw media attention. Lots of people, flashy signs and a huge launch or announcement are great but don’t underestimate the power of the mascot.

Often only associated with sports teams, mascots can be a great additional element to beef up attention as well as add personality and engagement around a brand. In my work with Donate Life Illinois, we’ve seen drastic differences in organ donor registration results when our mascot, Morgan D’ Organ is on hand to meet n’ greet registrants.

Sure, he can be a bit confusing to some. Is he a piece of bubble gum? A giant pork chop? To us, he’s of course a giant, lovable liver, but at the least, he’s a conversation starter to others who wouldn’t otherwise give a second thought about registering to be an organ donor.

Recently, I was searching around to see how others have been putting mascots to use for PR and marketing purposes. I’m not certain the Tampa Bay Lightning intended to have their mascot out and about greeting the community in this way, but it’s hilarious.

Likewise, you’ve gotta hand it to the Xylopholks. One passerby catches a subway performance on camera, posts to YouTube and wham, nearly 200,000 views in a month and a half. Not a bad PR hook.

But yesterday, I came across this article from last year about the World’s Weirdest Health Mascots. Morgan may be strange, but what about Petey P. Cup and Pokey the Syringe?? Literally, HealthPartners.com are using a pee cup and a syringe for a mascot tag team. Classic.  They’ve even got a Facebook fan page and YouTube channel set up for them. Here’s a fun little clip of Petey’s birthday celebration:

Hook hungry? Think about a mascot.

-Scott