What is Brand Mascots?
Brands use cute or human-like mascots because our brains are wired to trust faces. This tricks people into extending social trust to a corporate entity that just wants to sell them products.
Where it comes from
Classic Advertising to Digital NPCs
How it hooks you
Exploits anthropomorphism: human-like traits trigger the warmth and trust we normally reserve for people.
What the research shows
Studies show giving brands human-like traits measurably increases perceived warmth, trust, and positive evaluations.
Source: Aggarwal & McGill, 'Is That Car Smiling at Me?', Journal of Consumer Research (2007)
How to resist it
When a mascot recommends a purchase, imagine the corporate logo making the same recommendation.