The magic of mascots for behavior change
The magic of mascots for behavior change
What do you picture when you think of your favorite sports team, university, or business? One of the first images that may come to mind is a mascot, a visual character meant to represent the emotions and values of an organization.
Mascots encourage fun and entertainment, but they also possess a deeper quality — they can foster behavior change and collective action. Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment follows a behavior change framework comprised of six behavioral levers representing a category of intervention strategies based on evidence-based principles and case studies. Rare “Pride campaigns” use the six levers to inspire people to take pride in local species and adopt sustainable behaviors that benefit the environment. The campaigns often center around a charismatic flagship species that becomes a symbol of local pride and acts as a messenger to build support for habitat and wildlife protection.
The most visible representation of the flagship species is the mascot costume, which is used at many campaign events and activities. The mascot is designed to be approachable, inviting the audience’s trust and empathy. The anthropomorphized flagship species mascot acts as a campaign representative to which the target audience can relate. It assumes the identity of a fellow community member and often demonstrates the new target behavior itself with a direct slogan. The mascot gives people a tangible, approachable embodiment of the flagship species, fostering the same kind of concern and emotional attachment members of the audience would have for a fellow human being.
Highly visible, the mascot helps draw attention to community events and engages individuals of all ages. Local community members often take photographs with the mascot and share the campaign slogan on social media, helping to spread central messages to wider audiences.
Mascots are a key tool of Rare’s behavior campaigns that make learning enjoyable, inclusive, and fun for local communities.
Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop with fans before a game. Photo Credit: Casey Murphy via Unsplash
Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop with fans before a game. Photo Credit: Casey Murphy via Unsplash
Paul Butler's first campaign, for the St. Lucia Parrot in St. Lucia. Photo Credit: Rare
Paul Butler's first campaign, for the St. Lucia Parrot in St. Lucia. Photo Credit: Rare
Launch of Farmer Field School at Rare's site partner, Wuhan Bomao Ecological Agriculture Company with C&A China and 小七, our campaign mascot. Photo Credit: Rare
Launch of Farmer Field School at Rare's site partner, Wuhan Bomao Ecological Agriculture Company with C&A China and 小七, our campaign mascot. Photo Credit: Rare
Fish mascot at Omoa Campaign Launch in Honduras. Photo Credit: Rare
Fish mascot at Omoa Campaign Launch in Honduras. Photo Credit: Rare
Explore mascots from Rare campaigns
In Meta, Colombia, the community chose Armandilla the armadillo as the mascot for Rare’s Lands For Life program to highlight the importance of integrating biodiversity into their agricultural systems. With a friendly face like Armandilla leading the way, biodiversity is not a distant concept but a community's shared aspiration. The pride campaign created a visual tool that normalizes awareness of native animals within the community and started a dialogue among schools and smallholder farmers about using more sustainable agricultural practices.
Rare staff with Bakjuana, the mangrove mascot of the Siargao Island Protected Landscapes and Seascapes(SIPLAS), Philippines, at a Coastal 500 meetup event. Bakjuana represents Siargao’s rich marine heritage and encourages communty members to care for the mangroves, beaches, and fisheries.
Fish Forever mascots representing local communities in the Philippines.
Mascots in Colombia’s La Cumbre community represent regenerative agriculture and local wildlife.
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