Whether it’s because of cringe-worthy costumes or the pride they inspired, all of us remember our childhood’s district’s mascot. Perhaps that speaks to their power and role in an inspiring school branding idea. A mascot will unite your student body in one way or the other, that’s for sure, be it through the good vibes they inspire about your school or through becoming a collective laughingstock.
When it comes to rebranding a school, your district better get your mascot design right, especially if you’re changing it up completely. But with so much to consider and so many school branding ideas to sift through, how can you make sure your good intention lands when it comes to your school’s figurehead?
SportsGrahics, a Clarion provider of everything from branded wall mats to personalized outdoor padding, is here to help. While we’re more than happy to help you through every aspect of rebranding a school, see below for some mascot-making tips.
4 Tips for Creating the Perfect School Mascot
School mascots must be considered from multiple vantages. Of course, you want something that’s going to inspire school pride, but you also need something that’s easy to work with from more practical standpoints. The following guidelines can be helpful for many schools looking to remake their mascot.
Design for Cost-Effective Reproduction
Complicated mascot designs not only don’t read well from a visual standpoint, but they can give business partners, such as t-shirt companies, major headaches. So, when you make choices for your school’s mascot, ensure it’s simple enough to both recognize and reproduce commercially.
Ensure Your Mascot Stands Out in a Good Way
What are the common mascot characters in your area? Though frequently-used mascots are that way for a reason, stay away from these, as you want something that makes your school unique.
Being one in a countless majority doesn’t really inspire school pride, after all! At the very least, try to steer clear of mascots that your immediate competition uses.
Follow the Tenets of Good Design
While mascots might be unique in many ways, the general rules of design still apply. You still want to choose colors that contrast well and look good from far away and up close.
Your mascot design should be proportional or have a sense of symmetrical balance with emphasis on one feature. Using that tiger example from before, good design may show ferociousness by focusing on the intensity in the eyes or reveal the tiger’s sharp teeth.
You also want to ensure the design has a good balance of white or negative space to make the mascot and its powerful feature really pop.
Promote Strength & Community
These are characteristics that you want in your student body, so it helps to have a mascot that can foster them. Does this sound a little abstract? That’s where a school rebranding company, like us, comes in. We can assist you in creating a mascot that displays the values your school stands for.
Take a tiger, for example. Depending on the color choices and facial expression, a tiger mascot can look caring or ferocious. We help you strike the right balance for your school.
Contact SportsGraphics Now for Phenomenal School Branding Help
Looking to rebrand your school and redesign the mascot? Our expert team would be happy to help give your school the image overhaul it needs. We have helped many schools with this process, so check out our portfolio to see our work.
Give us a call now at 1-800-257-6405 to get started!