London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 02, 2025

Why Do Luxury Brands Have Mascots?

Why Do Luxury Brands Have Mascots?

While logos serve as symbols of status and recognition, mascots allow for play and novelty.

Characters like the Geico Gecko, Mr. Clean, and Tony the Tiger have become household names even outside of the respective companies they represent, and mascots have a place in more than just commercials and artwork on food packaging. Luxury houses are utilizing mascots-physical and digital-to further tell their story and serve as brand ambassadors as the fashion world evolves.

Brands' logos and signature prints alone have usually sufficed as identifying markers and points of community, but top labels have also introduced signature characters. Fendi debuted its monster in the Fall/Winter 2013 show, an evolving character that continues to appear in its original form as a fur bag charm and as a more toned-down image of glowing yellow or black eyes. Lifesize Fendi monsters even traveled the globe in 2016 to attend events at Fendi stores and perform on the runway. Karl Lagerfeld, the late creative director of the fashion house, even appeared as a fluffy Karlito bag charm for several seasons. Not to mention, Lagerfeld's namesake label often features a cartoon version of the designer on everything from leather jackets to enamel belt buckles.



Karl Lagerfeld with Fendi monster mascots.

                        

Fendi Spring/Summer 2015 Karlito bag charm and monster mini-bag

                        

Fendi Spring/Summer 2015 Men's monster backpack.

In 2018, Louis Vuitton introduced Vivienne, a doll that pulls from some of the brand's iconic motifs, as its mascot. Besides being a standalone accessory, Vivienne has appeared on bags and jewelry for the fashion house. More recently, during the boom of fashion video games last year, Burberry employed an animated deer as the face of its game, B Surf, and also created a platform for its digitally savvy Shenzen store through which visitors can interact with the avatar via an app.

Brands frequently collaborate with youthful entities like Disney, but their own mascots can be used to evoke the same sense of nostalgia and fantasy. Similar to the effect of capsule collections, limited-edition items sporting a brand mascot boost a brand's commercial appeal. The mascots transform accessories and fashion into coveted pieces of merchandise. They also appear on more accessible trinkets, like keychains, which allows a larger audience to connect with the brand.

Additionally, the increased use of animation in fashion advertising has allowed for their characters to come to life (even seemingly mundane objects like Hermès signature orange boxes, seen ice skating on a frozen pond in the French house's 2013 holiday campagin). They can also be used to add a vivid storyline to brands' collection, like Louis Vuitton's Vivienne, whose travels and activities are featured in the descriptions of and illustrations on the brand's holiday drops.



Louis Vuitton's Vivienne mascot.

For brands like Ralph Lauren, mascots are an integral part of its work, attracting a broad range of customers with different styles. Originally introduced in the '90s as a limited run of stuffed toys, the Polo Bear became a fashion symbol once it was sold on actual apparel. It especially gained momentum in the hip hop scene, giving the character cred in the streetwear circles, an unexpected route from its preppy origins.

The newest mascots in high fashion were introduced by Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton's series of physical and digital events used to promote the latest menswear collection. Cartoonized animals representing Abloh and his crew, called Zooom with friends, made an appearance in interactive filters and animations, a move that the brand made to strengthen the "diverse community spirit that exists around its menswear universe and encourages the public to take part in the ongoing dialogue between Virgil Abloh and his audience." The characters also joined the models on Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2021 men's runway.



Merging brand identity and novelty, luxury mascots offer an interactive piece to the consumer relationship. They can become collectible items, like the Fendi monster charms or Louis Vuitton Vivienne dolls, or act as a brand ambassador for audiences to connect with digitally. Either way, they offer connection–a theme that will likely grow in significance as we enter another socially distanced year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
×