Animals and brands: An enduring relationship

The year was 1974. Shintaro Tsuji, the founder of the Japanese company Sanrio, had grown weary of selling rubber sandals with floral prints. He decided it was time to add a cute design and hired Yuko Shimizu.  

Shimizu came up with a character called Hello Kitty -  an anthropomorphised white cat with a red bow and no visible mouth. Her first appearance was on a vinyl coin purse. Defying logic and expectations, Hello Kitty became an instant phenomenon in Japan, and sales at Sanrio grew sevenfold in the cat's first three years.

Since then, there has been no looking back with the brand estimated at $5 billion a year, by The New York Times. Hello Kitty's success, not discarding the marketing machine behind it, perhaps also spoke to something else: man's innate affinity with its roots: nature. 

Today, as the world grapples with climate shocks and rapid levels of deforestation, many keystone species also find themselves with their backs against the wall. 

Human's disdain for actual, living and breathing animals, however, isn't reflected in its hyper-consumerist reality. Numerous brands around the world have opted to choose a magnificent animal for their animal. 

The choices aren't made based on the creature's place in the world; rather, as expected of any profit-making venture, the key focus has been on the animal's traits. 

For instance, the bee is industrious, whereas the fox is clever. Three other key facets looked at are speed, power and beauty. Some animals are also seen as a symbol of nobility or even luxury. 

The use of horses by car companies is another example. What else invokes images of speed than the horse? Ferrari, Porsche and Ford can all be found sporting one iteration of the horse or another.

The Lamborghini, on the other hand, chose a bull - a powerful and elegant creature.

According to the team behind Lamborghini today, the company's founder was a Taurus, and had a passion for bullfighting, which also explains why the particular mascot was chosen. 

The symbol of the Austrian energy drink Red Bull is also a pair of horned bulls. Then there is Merill Lynch's bull. The company's motto is "Be Bullish." Even after the acquisition of Merill Lynch by the Bank of America, the logo was retained, evidence of its enduring legacy in American culture. 

Back in Bangladesh, animals can also be seen in logos of numerous famous names, including the unmatched Tiger Balm and Tiger Cement. There's also the famous Hati Marka Soap of Rashidiya Soap Factory in Narsingdi. The package informs the user that daily use of the soap does not harm the skin while boasting about its 60-year tradition. 

The Bangladesh cricket team is also referred to as the tigers. 

The use of animals as symbols dates back to ancient times. Besides animistic religion, even the Sun God Ra of Egypt was associated with an angry eagle. Closer to home, four Asiatic Lions grace the Ashoka Pillar, erected some 2,000 years ago. 

It's no surprise then that animal symbols have crept into politics as well.

Enter politics

The lion is loved as an election symbol. 

Seven candidates contested for Bagura-4 seat in the 11th National Parliament election of Bangladesh.  Among them was hero-singer Hero Alom. He wanted the lion symbol and he was given it.  Although he did not get many votes, he got the people's love. His supporters chanted slogans like "Your one vote to win for the lion symbol" and "Sundarbans' tigers are calling, let the lion symbol win". 

The election symbol of the Republican Party of America is the elephant. The Democratic Party opted for the donkey. 

While some may find the choice of the donkey off-putting, there's a very endearing reason why it's there. 

According to the History channel, in the 1828 presidential campaign of Andrew Jackson, his opponents called him a jackass. Rather than taking slight, Jackson, a war hero, was so amused by it that he included an image of the animal in his campaign posters. 

Space in the digital world

While room for animals continues to shrink in the real world, some have carved themselves a tiny area in the digital sphere.

The Microsoft Network or MSN started its journey as an Internet provider in 1995. For the first five years, the company used the letters MSN as its logo. Since 2000 the letters have featured a butterfly on the head. In 2010, the butterfly took on a more abstract form and in 2014, it was moved to a slightly more prominent position. Microsoft chose the butterfly as it felt that the creature symbolised freedom, joy and love.

Twitter, which has been in the news lately more than before since Elon Musk took over, also features an animal: the hummingbird. Even the brand is derived from the word for a bird's song: tweet. 

Twitter, however, maintains that the logo is inspired by basketball legend Larry Bird.

The reason the bird is used as a symbol is to signify liberation and endless possibilities.

Why love animals as logos?

Cheryl M Stone of Northwestern Oklahoma State University in a research paper titled "The Psychology of Using Animals in Advertising" in 2014 said, "Advertisers want to attract the attention of consumers. The history of using animals and birds as logos is long and the results are interesting. Consumers are interested and attracted to animals so a great way to increase sales is to associate animals or birds with products. 

Advertising star Leo Barnett showed the enduring relationship between man and beast with his use of Tony the Tiger in the Kellogg's logo.

In the 1950s, his Charlie the Tuna and Maurice the Cat also reached the peak of popularity. 

Another study from 1996 states that American children are connected to animals from an early age through cartoons and movies (such as The Lion King). To them, the lion is a symbol of joy, enthusiasm or strength. So when they see a lion on a product, they are easily attracted to it.

The point is, people can quickly recognise a logo sporting an animal. Therefore, using animals and birds as logos brings not only financial success but also helps to expand the reign of certain products.