A mascot is any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name.
In the world of sports, mascots are also used for merchandising. Team mascots are often related to their respective team nicknames. This is especially true when the team’s nickname is something that is a living animal and/or can be made to have human-like characteristics. For more abstract nicknames, the team may opt to have an unrelated character serve as the mascot. Mascots have a long and here are some links you can use to research the development of mascot costumes.
History of Mascots
It was originally organizations that first thought of using animals as a form of mascot to bring entertainment and excitement for their spectators. Before mascots were fictional icons or people in suits, animals were mostly used in order to bring a somewhat different feel to the game and to strike fear upon the rivalry teams.
As the new era was changing and time went on, mascots evolved from predatory animals, to two-dimensional fantasy mascots, to finally what we know today, three-dimensional mascots. Stylistic changes in American puppetry in the mid-20th century, including the work of Jim Henson and Sid and Marty Krofft, soon were adapted to sports mascots. It allowed people to not only have visual enjoyment but also interact physically with the mascots.
Marketers quickly realized the great potential in three-dimensional mascots and took on board the costumed puppet idea. This change encouraged other companies to start creating their own mascots, resulting in mascots being a necessity among not only the sporting industry but for other organizations.
Links and Resources
These links were sourced from colleges that have purchased costumes from these companies. Want to contribute more information or thoughts? Write in the comments below.
Updated: 8/9/2021