BRANDING
Although it may be hard to believe, mascots play an important role to many countries. While some may have the same character, they differ in terms of style. For instance, Ronald McDonald is used as a mascot for McDonald's fast food chain in countries like France and China. However, this style may be different in the United States.
Recently, France ran commercials of a young man and woman dressed in modern fashion, but resembled Ronald's outfit. China used a cartoon version of some of the characters in McDonald using Chinese children at the background.
CULTURE
Many countries also have different mascots that represent their culture. Tropical places like Trinidad, Jamaica, and other West Indies islands use mascots during carnivals and parades to celebrate the tribal people. Other countries like the United Kingdom and United State of America use exotic outfits as a form of tribal wear and act as mascots.
SPORTS
During the Olympics, the world got a chance to share their mascots. In 2010, the Olympics hosted by Canada featured three mascots namely Quatchi, Sumi, and Miga. These characters are patterned after Japanese anime characters which work well the younger generation.
Many of the mascot costumes around the world are very elaborate. They use a lot of face paint, beadwork and outfits such as bikinis and loin cloths. The costumes usually come in bright and beautiful colours, contributing to the feel of the event. These human mascots walk and dance in parades, visiting people who come to watch.