Touch
Touch makes it yours
Touching something makes it feel more like yours. If it feels pleasant, it is valued more highly.
Peck & Shu · Journal of Consumer Research 2009
Brand figure · trade fair · club · tourism
Mascot production — the figure customers take home
The unit price starts at €5.90 net. A mascot is not a giveaway: it carries your brand, gets kept instead of thrown away, and turns up again in photos, on social media and on the shop shelf. We have developed and produced such figures since 1998 — for companies, clubs, tourism regions and events, CE certified and EN 71 compliant.
Free prototype · no-obligation quotation · one dedicated contact
Over 2 millionmascots produced
2012 · 2016 · 2020Youth Olympic Games
1998founded in Austria
2 million+mascots produced
3,000+companies as clients
EN71CE-certified, EU-compliant
In brief
What separates a mascot from a giveaway?
A mascot is a distinct figure with character that embodies a brand, a region or a club. Unlike a pen or a lighter it is kept, photographed and passed on — it works for years rather than for one trade fair.
Where mascots actually work
At trade fairs the mascot is the reason someone stops and takes a photo. The giveaway ends up in a bag; the figure ends up on a desk — and carries your name onwards without you paying again.
For clubs and in tourism the mascot becomes a figure of identification: it appears on shirts, in local brochures, on social media and on the souvenir shelf. Regions use it because guests take home a figure, not a flyer.
In retail it works as a product in its own right. A well-made mascot can be sold rather than given away — turning a marketing budget into a source of revenue. That is precisely the difference between a promotional item and a brand asset.
Recognisability is decisive. A figure that works at every size — from keyring to 40-centimetre cuddly toy — carries further than a design that only works in one version. We fix that scalability at the design stage, not afterwards: facial features, proportions and contrasts are chosen so they stay recognisable at small sizes too.
What studies show
Giveaways last 8 months, more than half of favourite plush toys over 20 years
85% remember the company that gave them a promotional product (ASI 2026).
- Penabout 6 months
- Promotional product, averageabout 8 months
- Umbrellaover 1 year
- Favourite plush toyover 20 years
Two surveys side by side: promotional products ASI 2016 · plush toy 56% of 2,004 respondents who own one (USA 2017, commissioned by Build-A-Bear).
Values as a table
| Item | How long it is kept | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pen | about 6 months | ASI 2016 |
| Promotional product, average | about 8 months | ASI 2016 |
| Umbrella | over 1 year | ASI 2016 |
| Favourite plush toy | over 20 years (for 56% of respondents) | Build-A-Bear 2017 |
- 85%
remember the company that gave it
ASI 2026 · nearly 5,000 respondents
- 3,300
brand impressions per promotional product
ASI 2026
- 72%
plan to keep their plush toy forever
Build-A-Bear 2017 · 2,004 respondents
- 92%
recognise the brand with a character, 86% without
System1 · over 125,000 ads
Attachment
A cuddly toy is hard to replace
Children were less willing to accept an identical copy of their cuddly toy or comfort blanket than of a favourite toy.
Hood & Bloom · Cognition 2008
Calculator
What does one brand impression cost?
Enter quantity and unit price, the result appears instantly.
Based on 3,300 brand impressions per promotional product (ASI 2026), not measured separately for plush
3,300,000potential brand impressions
0.18 centsper brand impression
5,900 €net budget for the run
Request a quote for your figureFree prototype · non-binding quote · one fixed contact
View 7 sources
- ASI: Promo Products Are Kept An Average of 8 Months (Global Ad Impressions Study, 2016)
- ASI: Global Advertising Impressions Study 2026, nearly 5,000 respondents in Europe and North America (21 Apr 2026)
- Build-A-Bear Workshop: National Teddy Bear Day Survey, Atomik Research, 2,004 respondents who own a plush toy, USA (2017)
- System1: Effectiveness of characters in advertising, over 125,000 ads
- Peck, J. & Shu, S. B.: The Effect of Mere Touch on Perceived Ownership, Journal of Consumer Research 36(3), 2009
- Hood, B. M. & Bloom, P.: Children prefer certain individuals over perfect duplicates, Cognition, 2008
- GWW / DIMA: Promotional Products Impact Study 2019 (German), survey in Germany 2018
Checked: 7 Oct 2026. ASI, GWW and Build-A-Bear are industry sources with a commercial interest; the two journal articles are peer-reviewed research.
Process
From sketch to delivery — in four steps
01
Define the figure
An existing logo, a cartoon character or a new idea — we translate it into a three-dimensional shape.
02
Plan the scaling
Which sizes are planned? What has to stay recognisable at every size?
03
Prototype
Free sample to check shape, expression and brand effect.
04
Run & delivery
After your approval, production from 1,000 units, shipping by insured freight.
A look at production
Linda takes you through our partner factory and shows how a pattern, plush fabric and filling become a finished mascot — cutting, sewing, filling station and final inspection.
We are a family business since 1998. You contract our partner factory in Yangzhou, China, directly, with no middlemen. That is why we can tell you before the run whether a detail is feasible — and why we can step in during production instead of only checking the delivery. The factory staff are paid according to FAIRPAY.
The video is hosted on our own server and only loads when you start it — nothing is transferred before that.
The video loads only when you click
What is included
9 services included in the fixed price
- Translating a logo or idea into a three-dimensional figure
- Facial expression and character to your brand specification
- Scalable design for several sizes
- Colour matching against your brand palette
- Free prototype before the run
- CE certified, EN 71 compliant
- Label and branding can be integrated
- Production runs from 1,000 units
- Direct delivery by insured freight
References
What clients say
All quotes come from written feedback from our clients and are published with their consent (translated from German).
“For ten years, quality and reliability have particularly convinced us. High-quality execution and very good coordination throughout the project.”
Kraft Foods Austria — MILKA
“Our mascots were realised true to the brand in 2012, 2016 and 2020. The collaboration was structured and professional — from prototype to delivery.”
Youth Olympic Games
Frequently asked questions
Your questions — answered briefly
What separates a mascot from a promotional item?
A promotional item gets used up; a mascot gets kept: a promotional product stays for about 8 months on average, more than half of favourite plush toys for over 20 years. The mascot carries character and brand, appears in photos and on social media, and in retail it can even be sold rather than given away.
How long is a promotional product kept?
About 8 months on average (ASI study 2016), umbrellas just over a year. In Germany, 62% of promotional products are kept for more than a year (GWW impact study 2019). A favourite plush toy often stays for more than 20 years: 56% of respondents who own a plush toy have had theirs for more than two decades (Build-A-Bear survey 2017).
Do I need a finished design?
No. A logo, a hand sketch or a description is enough to start. We translate the template into a three-dimensional figure and show the result in the prototype.
Can I have several sizes produced?
Yes. It makes sense to fix the sizes early — a design meant to work as a keyring is constructed differently from one for 40 centimetres.
How long does production take?
From idea to delivery, several weeks, depending on complexity and season. For fixed dates such as trade fairs or anniversaries we plan backwards from the delivery date.
Who do you produce mascots for?
For companies, clubs, tourism regions, events, retail and organisations — from regional businesses to the Youth Olympic Games in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Contact
Planning a mascot? Describe the figure to us.
A logo, a sketch or a description is enough. We will tell you whether the figure works at the sizes you plan — before you commission anything.
Wolfgang Lindner — your personal contact since 1998.
- Since 1998direct contract with the factory, no middlemen
- CE & EN 71tested to EN 71-1/-2/-3/-9, report on request
- 3,000+clients, including MILKA and three Youth Olympic Games
- 0 €prototype before the run — you pay only after approval