I'm a huge fan of mascots. They're icons and visual reminders of our most beloved products and brands, created to enhance emotional connections, rally the troops and bring brands to life.
Whether it's Ronald McDonald (first played by Willard Scott in the original commercials), the Geico gecko, or any of the myriad array of sports team's mascots, they connect us with the qualities, personality and spirit of their organization or entity. They provide a voice at times, and occasionally give life to an otherwise static and boring experience (pretty hard to make insurance cool, so kudos to Geico for being creative).
There is one mascot however, that I just don't get....
..... The Six Flags "old man"
Are they serious????
Who in Gods name thought that an old bald man, in a tuxedo and Harry Caray glasses, was going to be a good idea? Did their consumer research tell them that kids (and their parents/grandparents) would really identify with the Freddy Kreuger looking, dancing grandpa? Perhaps, but that is some creepiness unmatched by any major brand that I've ever seen.
Does it's attract attention? Absolutely.
Is it memorable? Of course !
Does it inspire and instigate positive reactions from their audience?
I sure hope so, or else SF is crazier than I thought.
Could they have created a mascot that did all these things and was more closely aligned with their product/promise and target consumer?
No doubt!
For example, Six Flags has some great tie in's with the Looney Toons and Superman franchise's. Both make much more sense due to their whimsical, daring and playful nature, which clearly aligns with children/teens.
What can we learn from this?
__________________________
Gaining attention is not the end all be all.
Being memorable, inviting, 'on brand' and CONSISTENT with what your target audience expects from you, is paramount to simply creating a scene.
If you have the option of doing all of these things at the same time, take it.
I'd bet the farm that kids would rather see their peers (or something that closely aligns with their dreams) dancing through a commercial and frolicking in the amusement park, rather than Freddy Krueger.
But hey, I could be wrong....
Ed note, Sept 1, 2009: Six Flags filed for bankruptcy on June 13th, 2009.
....Grandpa Krueger still headlines their website.....
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