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School Mascots – Your Students Will Love Them

January 13, 2023Leave a Comment

Say you’re looking at a couple of schools. Both are terrific schools. At one school, the mascot shows up to greet the potential students. You take a selfie with the mascot and go to the bookstore to pick up a plush of the mascot. You’re already invested in the school culture.

Or you’re at a sporting event and turn to the person next to you and say “Holy cow! I love that mascot!” and that comment leads to a new romance or a lifelong friendship.

Both scenarios are monster events. Something BIG happened because a mascot was present.

As a college, university or high school, when you add a mascot to your program, you get more than a mascot to show up for your school’s sports programs, you also get a representative at events that matter in your community like parades, charitable runs and festivals. You can probably name a dozen of local events where your mascot’s presence would enhance your brand. Your mascot will interact with students, their families and create media opportunities.

How do I choose a school mascot?

You might already have made the decision to get a custom mascot for your school, and now you wonder where to go from here. We will guide you. we will be with you from the teensiet germ of and idea until the completion of a wonderful mascot that will walk with you, in front of you and tickle your fancy

Avant Garb can help guide you through the process. Starting from just the school name, logo or team name, or maybe you already have a sketch of what you would want your mascot to look like.
Send us your ideas, and we’ll work with you to create a professional mascot design and bring the mascot design to life as a full-sized mascot.

©Jennifer Smith 2023

Tagged With: Avant Garb, College mascot, custom mascot, custom mascot design, High school mascot, mascot design, mascot designers, mascot maker, mascots, school mascot

Tubby – The Unhinged Dukes Mayonnaise Jar Mascot – A Strong Brand Mascot

September 11, 20221 Comment

TUBBY, DUKE'S MAYONNAISE MASCOT JUST BEFORE BEING INTODUCED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD

What have we been doing recently at Avant Garb Mascots? Well —- We just finished making the Dukes Mayonnaise mascot, Tubby.

If you watched the Dukes Classic, you saw Tubby movin’ & groovin’ across the field

https://starexponent.com/tubby-at-dukes-mayo-classic-bowl/html_eb6f3743-6999-5c39-8147-77abdb4e462d.html

Or, If you watched the Dukes Bowl on December 30, 2022 – you saw Tubby again. Tubby is a social media star!

TUBBY pic.twitter.com/HIwAv5gqbY

— Duke's Mayo Bowl (@DukesMayoBowl) December 30, 2022

Tubby was a hugely satisfying mascot to make. We were delighted that the marketing & design team that conceived Tubby chose Avant Garb to bring their idea to life —and, of course Duke’s Mayonnaise has an innovative marketing team.

All in all, it was a great ride!

©Jennifer Smith 2023

Tagged With: corporate mascot, Mascot, mascot design, mascot designers, mascots

What comes next/ Mascots in a Post Pandemic World

July 22, 2020Leave a Comment

Even during the quarantines and the pandemic, the mascots reach out to us with —well—goofy joy. Like us, the mascots have adjusted. They totally get social media. They groove with ZOOM. They easily interact with fans, students and customers no matter what the circumstances.

They are with us in on our screens as we work from home and tiptoe into the office.

When we all come out of our homes to explore the ever-changing new normal, the mascots will be there to greet us.

Stay in touch with each other, wear a mask and connect with your favorite mascots.

xo Queen of Fuzz and the Mascot Makers

Grateful for technology allowing our department to stay just as productive these days…
#WorkFromHome #SocialDistancing #NBATogether pic.twitter.com/GV9AtxcJP5

— Pierre The Pelican (@PierreTPelican) March 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/i/status/1243721675797073928

Let’s connect and discuss big things!

Say Hello

©Jennifer Smith/Avant Garb Inc. 2020

Tagged With: Avant Garb Mascots, covid, making mascots for everyone, mascot costume, mascot design, mascot makers, mascots, NBA, NBA mascot, NBAmascots, pandemic, quarantine

A Grocery Bag Mascot for Kroger

September 12, 2018Leave a Comment

A Grocery Bag Mascot

The Kroger Grocery Bag Mascot was a delicious project! The Bag is named, “Big K”. He’s a bounitiful Bag w/ a nice bowtie & a bevy of glorious groceries.

We designed the Kroger products to have an animated look with simple graphics and the Kroger logo.

All of the Kroger logos are placed at the top of the grocery boxes, cans, bags, bottles and jars. It to appear as a kind of “crown” of Kroger products.

Produce!

Figuring out the patterns for celery and bananas was a challenge and we were up to it.

The celery and bananas are an added visual delight to an already awesome mascot!

Big K – The Mascot Diplomat

Big K, the Kroger grocery bag mascot, is a diplomat, Kroger’s representative at events that matter in the community like parades, charitable runs, festival. there are dozens of event where Big K, the Grocery Bag presence enhances the brand.

Thinking about getting a mascot for your brand? Get in touchQuote button

Tagged With: Brand Mascot, Grocery Bag Mascot, Kroger, Mascot, mascot costume, mascots

Zoom Thanksgiving Poem – from the Queen of Fuzz & the Mascot Makers – 2020 Version

June 14, 2018Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving’s the best!

About this I don’t jest.

We cook, we laugh and drink fine wine.

We gather round Zoom and prepare to dine.

With the turkey in place, the gathering is blest.

We’ve Zoomed and we’re glad.

Family, friends and guest!

Happy, happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo the Queen of Fuzz & the Mascot Makers

Tagged With: mascot makers, mascots, queen of fuzz, Thanksgiving2020

Fuzz, Foam & Fleece – Mascot Haute Couture

August 1, 2017Leave a Comment

Yes, the mascot studio is like a haute-couture atelier.

Rather than fine silks & wool, our materials are fuzz, fur,Muscle mascot arm -Laura foam & fleece. Patterns are drafted, fur fabric is cut, foam is sculpted, ears are placed and eyelids are sewn onto hand painted eyes. If a mascot is a big, muscular guy, those big muscles are created with fabric, and foam and all of it is sewn together.

The original plan was to design costumes for avant garde theater, thus the name, AvantGarb. Making mascots wasn’t part of the plan until a teensy cookie company called.

Anne & Matt sewing muppet fleece under the beach umbrelle

The teensy cookie company’s mascot appeared on the front page of the SF Chronicle when the giant food & dessert trade show rolled into town,

That cookie got me hooked on mascots. I changed the business plan. That was in 1986.

Hewlett-Packard Knight

The second mascot was for Hewlett Packard. 30 years later, we got another call for an HP mascot – this time a really fabulous Knight.

Quote button

…and don’t forget the shoes.

We’ve made several generations of TiVo mascots  On the outside, TiVo looks the same, but my, oh my has the interior structure changed. From basic PVC pipes to a sleek, light-weight aluminum structure that comes apart for shipping and clicks together when TiVo makes appearances. We call it mascotology.

AvantGarb  is one of just a handful of custom mascot-making companies. We’re headquartered in Indianapolis.

This is what some people have said:

TiVoSXSW“Ten years ago we searched for someone who could produce a high-quality, fun mascot.  The first TiVoGuy was born and 4 generations later, he (and his newer relatives) are still bringing joy to TV fans everywhere.  Nobody does smiles better than AvantGarb!”  Bard Williams, Director, Marketing, TiVo Inc.

“Jennifer and the rest of her “groovy” staff at AvantGarb have been a pleasure to work with over the years.  The quality, and service that goes with it can’t be matched in the industry.  Much love from Grand Rapids!” Rich Meyers, Director of Game Operations,

Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

MascotMavensinUniform

©Jennifer Smith 2017

Tagged With: mascots

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Avant Garb • Indianapolis, Indiana • 317-523-6267 • © 2023

  • Home
  • Mascot Basics
    • How Much Does a Mascot Cost?
    • Mascot Design
    • Ordering Your Custom Mascot Costume
  • Services
    • Mascot Consulting & Presentation
    • Mascot Performer Training
  • Mascot Musings
  • Mascot Archive
  • About Us
  • Connect With Us