What are Mascots?

Mascots are representations of groups and organizations such as schools, sports teams and corporations. Typical examples of mascots include people, animals or objects that embody a desired character trait or symbolize the mascot's organization and purpose.

  1. Sports

    • In addition to school sports teams, professional and amateur-level teams have mascots. The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team created an imaginary creature in the Phillie Phanatic.

    Schools

    • Schools and colleges have mascots that represent their academic clubs, sports teams and entire student body. The University of Louisville mascot is the cardinal to represent Kentucky's state bird.

    Politics

    • Political parties in the United States feature animal mascots such as the donkey for the Democratic Party and an elephant for the Republican Party.

    Military

    • United States military units often adopt an actual dog as their mascot during war. Soldiers also rescue dogs from battlefields and help them find new families (See Reference 1).

    Commercial

    • Corporations and consumer products might use mascots as part of their marketing plan. Auto insurance companies in the United States, such as Geico, have mascots for television advertising.