Mascots are most often associated with kids' brands and sports (maybe not at the same time in the case of the X-rated 2024 Paris Olympics mascots). But the recent Nathan's Famous rebrand shows brand mascots are as relevant as ever.
The refreshed identity for the Smithfield Foods' restaurant chain, known for its hot dog-eating competition, brings Frankie the Hot Dog to life as a ballsy New Yorker with new illustrations and animations.
Created by adam&eveDDB New York, the Nathan’s Famous rebrand makes much of the hot dog chain's New York origins with the tagline '100% Beef, 100% New York’. Frankie, who features on the signage of the original Coney Island restaurant, is given more of the spotlight – and more attitude. And a talking hot dog also makes an appearance in a series of ads focusing on the summer barbecue season.
“We wanted the new look of Nathan’s Famous to match its icon status," says adam&eveDDB New York head of design Mitch Horton. "Graphic, bold typography. A classic color palette inspired by its New York history but modernized. Stickers that highlight brand benefits. It’s a tightly designed collage of elements, just like you’d see walking down the streets of New York City. And of course there’s our illustrated hot dog mascot – Frankie. He’s been with the brand for a while, but we’ve redesigned him for today."
“For us, there was no better spokesperson than the hot dog itself," adds Jason Ashlock, executive creative director at adam&eveDDB New York. "We just had to figure out how to make it talk with a New York accent. It was such a fun character to create – both brash and endearing. A real bite of New York.”
A lot of the most successful brand mascots have nostalgia value, and Frankie is no exception. But he's been reinvented for the social media age with a stronger, more identifiable character. Remember that we're in an era that's seen McDonald's score a viral hit by resurrecting Grimace. We've even seen brands use their mascots to respond to current affairs. The grey Wendy logo divided opinion, but it got people talking.
Not all brand mascots deserve to be resurrected. Indeed, some hung around way to long. Incredibly, it wasn't until 2002 that Robinson's jam finally retired Golly, and Uncle Ben only rebranded in 2020. But Frankie shows that when the mascot works, is relevant to the brand and has real character – even a backstory – it can be a powerful and versatile brand asset, and not just for kids.
There are several benefits in using a brand mascot when it's done right. Insurance company Geico's Gecko and Comparethemarket.com's meerkat Aleksandr show how brand mascots can make dry industries more fun and approachable. And good brand character designs can be less dangerous than real celebrities, who will always bring the risk of potential scandal or controversy. Frankie might also cause controversy with his wise-cracking New Yorker ways, but then that's entirely intentional.
For more branding news, see the risky Tropicana rebrand and the controversy over the Red Bull logo on Leeds United's kit.
