Driving 70mph down the Florida Turnpike on the way home from Disney world, (Suncoast Parkway) I saw out of the corner of my eye an understated house with metal butterflies in the yard, and a small sign that said “Dan’s Metalworks”.
I made my husband turn around and go back so I could take a picture of the sign so that I could call Dan!! I was working on a design job and needed a butterfly bench at least 200 times the size of the butterflies on Dan’s yard. Powder coated in purple, turquoise, and orange. Dan was an amazing metal worker very talented and open minded to my exciting project. He even drove the benches to Columbus, GA and personally delivered them and they were better than I could’ve ever imagined.
I enjoy CrossFit and anything fitness related. I have also run two full marathons and at least a handful of half marathons, but who’s counting!? One of my favorite races was the Disney marathon. This was a memorable race for me because I got to have three of my favorite things in one place: running, family and Disney!
One of the main things that I, and the rest of the world, love about Disney is their mascots. They allow us to channel our inner child and let our imaginations fly. Every time I go to Disney, whether it is to run their marathon or simply to go for vacation, and see a mascot, I am immediately brought back to my younger years, where I could be anything I wanted!! Brilliant marketing! Everyone wants their picture made with Mickey!
Marketing and Design with Color and Woodruff Property Management Company have incorporated mascots and “real life” animated characters into property brands, and it’s been a great marketing tool! We take mascots to community events and everyone wants a selfie with them. Then, they post on social media… It’s the perfect memory! We design the costumes and create the brand for our clients. If you need a costume, we can create just about anything! Click here to visit our services page!
We believe that as part of a brand, a mascot is great at helping you connect your audience to your message. Don’t believe me? Just look at all big companies like Aflac and the duck, the University of Georgia and the UGA bulldog, Chick-fil-A and the cow, Macy’s and the pink pig… All these mascots have become timeless icons, becoming an overall part of your personal experience with the brand. Mascots go back years and years and never fail to create a smile and a memory!
One of our favorite mascots at WPMC is Ruffie! Isn’t she so cute?
Lakeside Village. Lulie and Ruffie. Photo by Suzanne Jones
Ruffie started with a client with brand new apartments, Lakeside Village, who needed a brand. We were hired to develop the brand and roll out a marketing campaign. We included a mascot, a name, color schemes, a logo, design work, media and advertising, and it quickly evolved into a powerfully striking campaign.
Photo credit: Nathan Leduc / Sign: Justin Smith
Ruffie quickly became an important part of the Lakeside Village brand. People recognize her from making public appearances at events, being on billboards, print, media, etc… We can help you achieve this too! We are all about making marketing fun and effective!!
A proven fact: people spend more time looking at ads that have people or animals in them!
Wrapping up my thoughts up… boundaries are never in my book. All I see is opportunity. I could’ve seen the Disney marathon as a big obstacle to surpass, but instead, I saw it as an opportunity to drop my 42k time and enjoy being around all my favorite Disney characters! The leader in mascots make the brand! I had plenty of time to think and be inspired by the power of a brand and how I could incorporate mascots into my marketing plans.
Here’s my two cents for you: do things that you love, do them with great love, and the chips will fall into place!
