Home to 4000 species of exotic animals and 100 acres of lush wildlife, the San Diego Zoo is one of the largest and most famous zoos in the country. I can attest to the vastness first hand because I was lucky enough to visit the Zoo this past weekend. While there, I pet a camel, heard about numerous conservation efforts, learned that koalas are marsupials (not bears) and was able to snap this photo of the San Diego Zoo’s promotional products.
I also started thinking about how much animals influence the realm of business. Over the years, well-known companies in a variety of industries have used animals as a logo to symbolize their strong brands.
Here are some little known facts about some of the most well known brand mascots:
Tony the Tiger– Had to beat out Katy the Kangaroo, Elmo the Elephant and Newt the Gnu to become the face of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes in 1952.
Puma– The animal represents an athletic shoe company that was founded by German Rudolf Dassler, whose younger brother Adolf started the competing Adidas company.
MGM (logo pictured above)- Leo the Lion is the fifth lion to be depicted in the production company’s logo. The company’s founder first chose the animal as an acknowledgment of his alma matter’s sports team, the Columbia University Lions.