The gigantic head, tunnel vision and stifling heat took some getting used to, but Bryan Olsen says he loves donning a cow costume to promote the Chick-fil-A chain.
The 18-year-old Smoky Hill High School senior, who has worked at an Aurora Chick-fil-A restaurant for nearly two years, said he enjoys dressing up as the sandwich chain’s mascot cow. The chain uses cows as part of an advertising campaign in which the bovines encourage people to eat chicken instead of beef.
“It gets very hot in there, and the head is the hardest part to keep under control, but other than that, it’s pretty easy to move around in,” Olsen said. “It’s really rewarding. You get to go crazy and entertain people.”
As more and more companies flock to the Web and other increasingly high- tech means to advertise their messages, Chick-fil-A and many other local companies continue to use an old-fashioned way of drumming up new business: sending out employees dressed in costumes to wave at passers-by.
Several business owners stressed that the mascots are an easy and economical way to build brand awareness.
“It helps burn us into the minds of the consumers,” said Dick Summerfield, owner of Verlo Mattress outlets in Boulder, Highlands Ranch and Frisco.
The stores use a costumed mascot known as “Mattress Man.”
“It draws attention to the business, and it definitely draws in customers,” Summerfield said.
John Burnett, professor of marketing at the University of Denver, said he views mascots as an outdated technique.
“The probability of these individuals being effective to consumers is very, very low,” he said. “It is low-cost, but I view it more as a gimmick than a business strategy.”
But executives at Denver- based Quiznos say they have the numbers to prove the effectiveness of “Cup Man,” an inflatable soft-drink cup that beckons customer into Quiznos stores.
Quiznos leaders say “Cup Man” helps increase sales by $200 per shift. The sandwich chain has used the mascot at more than 100 new-store openings nationwide this year.
“We have proven results with it,” said Ghazi Hajj, vice president of new-store training for Quiznos. “We recommend that all franchise owners use it on a regular basis.”
Liberty Tax Service hires workers to dress as Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty daily from early January through mid-April.
The patriotic mascots generate at least 15 percent of all new business, according to Maureen Long, office manager of the Liberty Tax Service on South Sheridan Boulevard in Lakewood.
“They remind people that ‘Oh, yeah, it’s tax season,”‘ she said. “I think they work especially well on the procrastinators.”
Mostly teenagers apply for the job, which pays $6.85 per hour, Long said.
“It’s a decent wage,” she said. “It’s not that difficult to stand out there and wave.”
Long and others admit the street mascots face their share of hardships. They’ve been harassed by drivers, who have been known to curse at them or pelt them with trash, and they must endure inclement weather and boredom.
To combat the latter, Long encourages workers to wear their MP3 players.
“It’s better if you listen to music and zone out,” she said.
Karen Arangua, owner of the Aurora Chick-fil-A store where Olsen works, said she primarily uses the mascots to build community relations. Her cows attend charity events and participate in monthly spirit nights at local high schools.
“I think it really does create an emotional connection with customers,” she said. “I have people who fight to be in the cow costume. They like it because it’s something fun and different to do.”
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-954-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
