A mascot is any character or design that is meant to represent some identity. It could be a person, object, cartoon character that signifies the public identity of any organisation, society, team or a brand. And each year on June 17, a National Mascot Day is marked which looks at the importance of these elements. Many a time, these mascots are also a part of merchandising of a product. Mascots carry an identity and sometimes some mascots become so popular that people often forget the name but a mascot has that recall value. So for any company, a mascot is very important. Who are the Mascots for the 2018 Winter Olympics? Know Everything About Soohorang, The Pyeongchang Winter Games Mascot.

It is not yet clear when the celebrations of National Mascot Day started. But the celebrations are very recent. In April 2015, there was a presence of the #NationalMascotDay online. On National Mascot Day 2019, let us look at top famous brand mascots of all time. Japan Appoints Pink Sea Cucumber As the Mascot of Maritime Self-Defence Force and It's the Cutest Ever! (See Pictures).

Ronald McDonald, McDonald's: Ronald McDonald, a clown character has been representing the famous American fast food company McDonald's. From featuring in TV commercials to his statue outside most outlets, the smile of Ronald is now known to the world. The very distinct colours of yellow and red matching with the brand name also associate with their brand.

Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney: Animated mouse character Mickey has been one of the most significant of mascots ever created. The mascot of The Walt Disney Company was created by Walt Disney himself and Ub Iwerks in 1928. Mickey's large ears, red shorts, white gloves and yellow shoes have instant recall to Walt Disney. Mickey Mouse is indeed one of the most popular and iconic mascots ever created.

Mario, Nintendo: If there is one mascot that evolved into a great franchise, it is Mario created by Japanese video game designer Nintendo. The character which debuted in 1981 as Jumpman was named Mario in 1982. Mario did not just serve as the protagonist for the company but today it has featured in over 200 video games and the evolution still continues. Mario franchise is among the best-selling video game franchise of all time.

ZooZoo, Vodafone: ZooZoo, the white ballooned animated characters created by telephone service provider company Vodaphone became an instant hit since its arrival. The company has plated around with their mascots time and again but ZooZoo was an adorable introduction that even saw great merchandising. The advertisements featuring them added a human touch which made it relatable to everyone.

Boomer Man, Boomer bubblegum: Chewing gum Boomer may not be selling as good as it did about a decade ago, but the image of Boomer Man still stays. Boomer Man was no less than a superman for the 90s kids with the ads featuring him as a rescuer from tricky situations. The earlier days of merchandising saw Boomer Man tattoos.

These are just some of the mascots which became very famous and still have a recall value. Many other mascots like Tony the tiger for Kellogs, Michelin Man for Michelin, Amul girl for Amul products, Colonel Harland David Sanders for KFC, Doughboy for Pillsbury are just as famous. Mascot plays a key role in advertising. Each mascot has its own story for the brand.  Which are some of the mascots that you have instant recall for? Do let us know in the comments below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2019 09:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).