JKR

Paddington and marmalade sandwiches belong together. Robertson’s Golden Shred have lured him back from his work endorsing Marmite, which makes total sense. Unilever’s response to losing their star signing is brilliantly arch “It seems fitting that a bear as prone to mishaps as Paddington should turn up at Robertson’s after developing a savoury tooth” they told The Grocer.

Like premier league footballers, when one hires the talent rather than owns it, I guess defection to another team is always an occupational hazard. This got me wondering – can you think of any famous brand mascots who have been adopted rather than specifically created for a brand, but who have come to be an integral part of the brand non the less? Fido-Dido was around as a cartoon for a little while before signing up with 7-Up, but it would now be hard to imagine him anywhere else.

And the Playboy rabbit has travelled in the opposite direction – when Playboy Enterprises Inc entered talks with bidders late last year fashion house Iconix Brand Group stated that it was more interested in the company’s saucy symbol than the photo spreads of naked women that made the magazine famous in the first place. The magazine, with its declining sales and advertising revenue, they could take or leave.  But the brand image, and what it powerfully symbolised, was still considered of great value ($300 million was the figure quoted). So even when you create the mascot, it seems it can still outgrow the product.