The most important branding tool in 2026 isn't what you think

Brand mascots have had quite the journey. From the Michelin Man's debut in 1898 through the golden age of TV advertising, these characterful ambassadors were once the cornerstone of brand identity. Think Tony the Tiger, the Jolly Green Giant or Ronald McDonald; characters so embedded in popular culture that they transcended their products. 

Then, somewhere along the way, mascots fell dramatically out of favour. As brands chased minimalism and a new level of consumer sophistication, these playful characters began to seem dated, even embarrassing. The sleek, sans-serif rebrand became the default, and mascots were quietly retired or relegated to heritage packaging. Back in 2024, we even asked if brand mascots were still relevant anymore.

Changing times

Yet as we head into 2026, everything is changing once again. These characterful ambassadors aren't just making a tentative comeback; they're being recognised as essential strategic assets for the modern brand landscape.

Several forces are converging to make this a reality. First, there's the sheer saturation of the digital marketplace. With attention spans shrinking and competition intensifying, brands need a visual shorthand that cuts through the noise. A well-designed mascot achieves this in ways a logo alone simply cannot.

But there's something deeper happening too. As BUCK's Simon Chong observed in my recent 2026 design trends roundup, the lines between digital and physical, product and marketing are becoming increasingly blurred. In this fluid landscape, mascots serve as anchors; recognisable touchpoints that can move seamlessly across channels and contexts whilst maintaining brand continuity.

The AI factor

Take AI. As brands deploy AI assistants and chatbots at scale, they're discovering what designers have known for years: people relate better to personalities than to interfaces. Giving these digital agents a familiar face and character isn't just about aesthetics; it's about creating trust and enabling connection.

Look at Notion AI, which has embedded a character directly within its product to communicate expressively with users. Or consider how Jakarta dessert brand Butter's baby has tied its mascot directly to its brand identity. These aren't campaign gimmicks; they're fundamental to how these brands operate and communicate.

Then there's the growing abundance of emojis. When Duolingo and Android recently rebranded, both doubled down on their mascots – the owl and robot respectively – precisely because these characters offer a broader emotional spectrum than traditional brand assets. 

This matters enormously as brands attempt to build closer relationships with customers at scale. A mascot can be playful one moment, empathetic the next, and instructional when needed; all whilst remaining unmistakably on-brand. Try achieving that range with your standard corporate colour palette.

More fundamentally, there's a human element at play. As our lives become increasingly mediated by screens and algorithms, we're craving personality and warmth in our digital interactions. Mascots offer a sense of fun, playfulness and humanity that feels like a welcome antidote to the sterility of much contemporary digital design.

Think of them as friendly guides: characters you'd actually want to encounter on a daily basis rather than merely tolerate. In an era where brand fatigue is real and consumers are increasingly selective about which brands they'll engage with, that likeability is invaluable.

The bottom line 

For those of us working in design and branding, this shift represents both opportunity and responsibility. Creating an effective mascot requires more than illustration skills; it demands strategic thinking about personality, behaviour, and long-term evolution. 

Done well, you're not just designing a character; you're creating a brand ambassador that could define a company's identity for years to come.

So as we move through 2026, I'm expecting to see mascots everywhere. Not as a nostalgic novelty, but as a serious strategic tool. And my guess is the brands that understand this will have a significant advantage in building the kind of emotional connections that matter in an increasingly crowded marketplace.