A mascot costume well worn can push your brand to great heights. Besides coming up with a striking design, you need a mascot performer to wear it right. By itself, a mascot costume is just another piece of apparel.
However, when worn by a professional performer, it comes alive in a way that makes everyone notice. This can be a compelling living and breathing comical character straight out of a comic book or Disneyland.
To get the right performer, don’t just settle on anyone with some extra free time who is only interested in earning a few bucks. More thought goes into selecting an ideal performer to wear your mascot costume. Below are a few tips:
1. Make Sure They Are Passionate Performers
The ideal performer should relish the prospect of wearing a mascot costume. In fact, they should look forward to becoming the mascot. This means they do not only take the job seriously, but they are also passionate about it. A passionate mascot performer in action is a spectacle to behold. Before you settle on a mascot performer, make sure passion and enthusiasm are on the table, or you are stuck with Joe from Accounting.
2. Learn from Professional Sport Teams
Professional sports teams take mascot performance as seriously as they take their players. Take a leaf from their drafting routine and hold an audition to increase your chances of landing the best performer (at least from the bunch that will show up).
3. Do Your Homework, Then Hire
Make sure you have a clear and detailed description of what you expect from the mascot performer. What will their role be? Will they have other responsibilities besides getting into the mascot costume and goofing around? Let them know if they will be involved in booking events.
Do they need to have marketing experience? You may also want them to take charge of the mascot’s social media presence. Ensure they understand the mascot’s personality and your company’s values. Further items to include in an ad for a mascot performer include height range, hours of work, health and fitness level, and pay. If a background check is needed, you may need to mention this as well.
4. Find out the Best Places to Source Talented Performers
Once you know the kind of mascot performer you want, write a compelling ad and post it where you are likely to find a lot of talent. Consider advertising in universities and colleges, online-classified sites such as Kijiji, and on your company’s social media platforms.
If you have a limited budget and there is someone within your organization who can do the job, consider them as well. Your company’s bulletin is a good place to post internal ads; but remember to mention the benefits that come with the task, which could be in cash or in kind.
5. When Interviewing, Always Have Your Mascot Character’s Personality in Mind
A prospective mascot performer should exhibit the character and personality you are looking for. Apart from mirroring the mascot’s character, they should be respectful and avoid using curse words. Make sure they fully understand what is required of them during the interview. You could also ask them for ideas on how best to play the mascot character. This will tell you if they understand what their role will be once inside the mascot costume.
The tricky part is identifying a performer who convincingly and entertainingly plays the mascot character before a crow of people and cameras. This is not the role for the accounting guy who rarely speaks. You need a performer who relishes the attention and is not afraid to goof around if the mascot character requires him to do so.
