Why Mascots Matter — When Done Right

Heating and Cooling with Character

When Pronto Heating and Air Conditioning wanted to warm up their messaging, we leaned into a proven strategy: character-driven storytelling. Mascots and branded characters are having a serious moment — not just for cuteness, but for connection.

Mascots aren’t just for cereal boxes and cartoon sidekicks anymore. When done right, they can build emotional connection, elevate storytelling, and make a brand unforgettable — even in utility-first industries like HVAC.

That’s the strategy we leaned into for Pronto Heating and Air Conditioning.

Their ask: bring charm and personality to their message.

Our approach: build branded characters that spark connection — and work across broadcast, pre-roll, and digital platforms.

Why Mascots Work (and Why They’re Working Again)

Recent studies have shown that brand mascots can boost emotional engagement by 40% or more (source). They’re sticky and memorable, helping to humanize even the most technical offerings.

Mascots like Geico’s Gecko, Mailchimp’s Freddie, or Duolingo’s chaotic green owl aren’t just fun — they’re business assets. And it’s not just for B2C. In B2B, mascots create trust, make complex services easier to relate to and support storytelling that lives across campaigns.

What We Built for Pronto

We designed a series of modular animated spots, built around a playful set of characters — a furnace you could hug, ducts with attitude, and cooling units with a little swagger. These weren’t one-offs. They were visual assets designed for scale, delivering flexible cutdowns across:

Broadcast  •  Pre-roll and social  •  Service-focused explainer moments

The animation style balanced character warmth with visual clarity — making sure every asset worked in 15- and 30-second formats while still landing brand tone.

Why Gasket?

Bringing characters to life isn’t about putting a smiley face on a product — it’s about crafting moments that feel real, with movement, timing, and personality that connects. Our background in animation, character development, and scalable brand storytelling gives us the tools to not only build mascots — but to build mascots that work.

Done right, they don’t just entertain.

They train. They sell. They build brands people remember.