Unmasking the Mascot
Creating awareness on how food mascots utilise anthropomorphism to influence children
Food advertising mascots are ever prevalent in our modern society and are often anthropomorphized. Anthropomorphism is a natural tendency for humans, especially children. Brands use this inclination in their mascots to promote their often unhealthy food offerings. When ingested in excess, they might cause health problems. As anthropomorphism is the imposition of human characteristics on non-human entities, this project will transform these mascots into more 'human' beings. Brand mascots are combined with their respective CEOs, creating realistic, unsettling hybrids known as 'Manscots'. These are displayed on the packaging of the food products. The text on these packaging will also be changed to describe how that brand employs anthropomorphism in their mascot as well as the health risks linked with consuming the product. The aim of this project is to raise awareness in parents on how brands use anthropomorphism to advertise unhealthy food products to their children, and the potential consequences.