Mascots: From Black Bear Obsession to Cultural Curation via Puns

30-Second Overview: Taiwan once fell into a collective obsession with "bears only," with dozens of black bear mascots sharing similar appearances across the island. However, as "Milkfish Boy" became so ugly it appeared on a US talk show, China Post's "Bobo Pigeon" made a comeback with its soft and cute image, and "Welfare Bear" achieved a commercial miracle with hundreds of millions in annual revenue, Taiwan's mascots are undergoing a qualitative shift from "cute tools" to "distinctive brands."

On December 3, 2013, a black bear with a white V on its chest and an orange cape quietly came to life on the internet. Half a year later, it was officially appointed as the leader of the "Super Mission Group" of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Tourism Bureau, named "OhBear" ¹. This was not just the inauguration of a public sector mascot; it marked Taiwan's formal entry into the "Mascot Warring States Period."

Historical Depth: From "Datong Baby" to the Year of Pro Baseball

Taiwan's mascot culture did not emerge out of nowhere. As early as 1969, Datong Company created Taiwan's most representative corporate mascot, "Datong Baby" ², to promote color televisions. This small figurine wearing a helmet and holding an橄榄球 (American football) was not only a corporate identity but also became a symbol of family prosperity in Taiwan during the 1970s.

By 1990, the opening of Taiwan's first year of professional baseball saw four teams—Brother Elephants, Sanshang Tigers, Uni-Lions, and Wellcome Dragons—enter the field led by their respective mascots, pioneering the era of sports mascots ³. However, early mascots mostly served as "gifts" or "ornaments," lacking complete story backgrounds and world-building settings.

Bear Obsession: Taiwan's Unique Black Bear Mania

In Taiwan, if you don't know what mascot to design, choosing a black bear is usually the safe bet. Statistics show that Taiwan has created dozens of black bear mascots from different industries that have no blood relation but coexist simultaneously ⁴. From Taipei Universiade's "Bravo Bear," Kaohsiung City's "Kaohsiung Bear," V Air's "V Bear," to Ningxia Night Market's "Ningxia Bear," black bears have become a totem in Taiwan's collective consciousness.

However, this "collective obsession" also brought a crisis of辨识度 (recognizability). In the 2016 island-wide mascot PK battle, Kaohsiung alone sent three different bears, making it difficult for the audience to distinguish the difference between "GaoGao Bear" and "Kaohsiung Bear" ⁴.

📝 Curator's Note: When every bear looks like a "Taiwan Bear," they lose their uniqueness as a brand and become tools for one-off event appearances.

Commercial Miracle: "Welfare Bear" and "Open Shogun" with Hundreds of Millions in Annual Revenue

Whether a mascot can "generate revenue" is a hard indicator for measuring its brand value. "Welfare Bear" from Fullmart (Quanlian Welfare Center) and "Open Shogun" from 7-Eleven are both backed by marketing genius Liu Hongzheng ⁵.

At its peak, "Open Shogun" brought in over 1 billion NTD in annual revenue for Unified Supermarket, with licensing scope even covering co-branded special cars and theme parks ⁵. "Welfare Bear," through the brainwashing hit song "Welfare Bear, Bear Welfare" and IP management of the Fruit Exploration Team, contributes approximately 200 to 300 million NTD in annual revenue to Fullmart ⁶.

Liu Hongzheng points out that the key to managing an IP lies in establishing a "worldview." For example, Welfare Bear is set as a boy with strong curiosity who dreams of becoming an exemplary store clerk, with blood type A, like the Fullmart logo ⁵.

Political Life: "Bravo Bear" Testifying in the Council

When mascots enter the public sector, they are no longer just cute plush toys but "political beings" that must face scrutiny of public fund efficiency. Taipei City Government's mascot "Bravo Bear" (Bravo) is the most representative case.

In 2018, the Taipei City Government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs spent 1.13 million NTD to apply for trademark registration, "micro-plastically" transforming the original "Gold Medal Bravo Bear" into an "Ocean Bravo Bear," which sparked fierce questioning in the council. Councilors questioned whether "micro-plastic surgery" was a bureaucratic bad habit, even sarcastically saying: "Why have you become so ugly?" ⁷⁸.

Additionally, Bravo Bear's budget-to-revenue ratio often becomes a focal point. In 2024, councilors questioned that Bravo Bear's annual marketing and maintenance budget exceeds 11 million NTD, while the annual revenue from licensing fees and appearance fees is only about 400,000 NTD, jokingly calling it a "money-losing product" ⁹¹⁰.

📝 Curator's Note: The sorrow of public sector mascots lies in their struggle between "city image" and "budget efficiency." When a mascot's monthly salary (converted from budget) is higher than that of city officials, its cuteness becomes a political original sin.

Hongfu: The Century-Old Fortune-Bringing Messenger of Ximending Red House

Compared to the political pressure on public sector mascots, Ximending Red House's "Hongfu" demonstrates how to transform history into cute cultural assets. "Hongfu," which made its debut in 2024, is a red fox with a lively expression wearing the horizontal frieze of the Red House building ¹¹.

Hongfu's design is not imagined out of thin air; its inspiration comes from the "Taipei Inari Shrine" next to Ximending Market (now Ximending Red House) during the Japanese colonial period ¹². As the messenger of the Inari God, it was transformed into the Red House's "Reception Minister." The white horizontal band on its body echoes the red-and-white pebble wash characteristics of the Red House building ¹³.

📝 Curator's Note: Hongfu's success lies in "historical research." It is not just a fox but a carrier of the Red House's century-old history. Through the settings of "fortune-bringing" and "sustainability," it successfully connects ancient monuments with modern cultural and creative industries.

The Ugluer, The More Loved: The Counterattack of "Ugly-Cute" in B-Class Attractions

In the flood of pursuing cuteness, a group of mascots goes against the grain, carving out a path through "bizarre" and "ugly-cute" aesthetics. The most famous case is Tainan Beimen's "Milkfish Boy," whose black eyes and eerie smile were rated by netizens as "nightmare level," so ugly that it even appeared on the US talk show Last Week Tonight ¹⁴¹⁵.

Penghu is even a stronghold for ugly-cute mascots. From "Pearl Little Child" and "Chengqian Fresh Oyster" to "Bikini Clownfish," these landmarks with a strong plastic feel and bizarre shapes, although heavily criticized upon their debut, unexpectedly triggered a check-in craze ¹⁵.

Mr. Fish Head: The "Cross-Section" Aesthetics That Went Viral in Japan

Tainan Tourism Mascot "Mr. Fish Head" (SABABOY) demonstrates how to go international through "bizarre" aesthetics. Designed by illustrator Marco Chen Yu-ren, this mascot has a cute smile on the front and an extremely realistic fish head cross-section on the back ¹⁶.

In June 2024, a Japanese netizen shared a photo of Mr. Fish Head's back on X (formerly Twitter), triggering over 5 million visits ¹⁷. This "bold and visually striking contrast cuteness" made Mr. Fish Head go viral in Japan, becoming a surprise weapon for Tainan tourism on international social media.

Bobo Pigeon: The Soft-Cute Comeback of an Old Public Sector Brand

Contrary to the bizarre route, China Post's "Bobo Pigeon" demonstrates how to rejuvenate an old public sector brand through precise brand management. Bobo Pigeon was born around 2015; its round shape and the setting of being a Pisces who "hates being called fat" quickly captured hearts on social media platforms ¹⁸¹⁹.

In 2024, the "Bobo Pigeon Mailbox Stamp Doll" gift box co-launched by China Post and Yih Wei was sold out in just 10 minutes ²⁰. Bobo Pigeon's success lies in breaking away from the stiff civil servant image of traditional "Postal Babies" and instead pursuing a "soft-cute" and "lifestyle" feel.

From the Death of "Ah Long" to the Pun Redemption of "Caiqi Duck"

The vitality of a mascot often comes from the "authenticity" behind it. In May 2024, the National Taiwan Literature Museum's mascot "Ah Long" was embroiled in a plagiarism controversy, ending with an apology from the Literature Museum and the prosecution of the outsourcing vendor ²¹²². This "Death of Ah Long" gave Taiwan's public sector a heavy lesson: mascots cannot just be outsourced shells; they must possess legal and creative souls.

In contrast, Tainan Market Mascot "Caiqi Duck," which debuted in 2021 but went viral at the end of 2024, took another path. This duck wearing an apron and topped with leaves takes its name from the Hokkien pun for "Vegetable Market" ²³.

"I'm not a potato, I'm not a kiwi, I'm Caiqi Duck." This呆萌 (dumb-cute) self-introduction, combined with Taiwanese people's obsession with puns, caused this once-obscure duck to go viral on social media platforms like Threads ²⁴.

Data and Current Status: The Economics of Mascots

Mascot	Birth Year	Affiliated Unit	Commercial Value / Influence
Open Shogun	2004	7-Eleven	Peak annual revenue exceeded 1 billion NTD 5
Welfare Bear	2014	Fullmart Welfare Center	Contributes approx. 200-300 million NTD in annual revenue 6
Bravo Bear (Bravo)	2016	Taipei City Government	Annual marketing budget exceeds 10 million, licensing revenue approx. 400k 9
Hongfu	2024	Ximending Red House	Combines ESG and digital tech, driving the transformation of a century-old monument 11
Mr. Fish Head	2018	Tainan Tourism Bureau	Single X post by Japanese netizens exceeded 5 million visits 17
Caiqi Duck	2021	Tainan City Market Dept	Drives the upgrade of Tainan traditional market tourism 25

Challenges and Outlook: Refusing to Be "Passersby"

Japan's mascot industry once rose to a "Mascot Extermination Stage" due to oversaturation, where only characters with strong memory points could survive ⁴. Taiwan currently faces similar challenges: many public sector budgets are spent on one-time designs, lacking long-term brand management.

"For a mascot to succeed, the key is not whether it is cute, but whether it is 'authentic'," points out service designer Lin Cheng-yi. Mascots should be an important brand identifier, not just a propaganda tool ⁴.

Taiwan's future mascots may no longer need more black bears, but rather more like "Caiqi Duck" or "Bobo Pigeon," which make people smile when encountered on the street and want to tell friends: "Hey, look at this one, so Taiwanese!"

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Further Reading

• Taiwan Variety Shows — Role design and audience interaction mechanisms in the entertainment industry
• Taiwan Memes — How puns, ugly-cute, and contrast cuteness spread on the Taiwanese internet
• Fullmart Welfare Center — Brand management and IP strategy behind Welfare Bear
• Taiwan Black Bear — Biological prototype and conservation issues as a cultural totem

References

1. Taiwan's Tourism Representative Bear - Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau — Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau e-book, introducing the background of OhBear's birth in 2013↩
2. Exploring Symbolism and Transplant Traces from the "Corporate Doll" Image: A Case Study of Datong Baby - Zheng Xiuru — Academic paper exploring the symbolic significance of Datong Baby's birth in 1969 as a corporate mascot↩
3. Witnessing History and Reviewing Important Moments in Taiwan: 1990 Year of Pro Baseball - United Daily News — Record of the opening of Taiwan's first year of professional baseball in 1990, with mascots from four teams: Brother Elephants, Sanshang Tigers, Uni-Lions, and Wellcome Dragons↩
4. Mascot Successology (Part 2): Taiwan's Unique "Black Bear" Obsession - The News Lens — Service designer Lin Cheng-yi's perspective, analyzing the saturation of Taiwan's black bear mascots and the crisis of brand uniqueness↩
5. The Man Who Created Open Shogun and Welfare Bear: Marketing Genius Liu Hongzheng Teaches 4 Steps to IP Success - Civil Affairs Magazine — Liu Hongzheng interview, Open Shogun's peak annual revenue exceeded 1 billion NTD, methodology for establishing IP worldviews↩
6. Father of Welfare Bear Decodes IP Secrets: Contributes Approx. 2-300 Million NTD in Annual Revenue - Yahoo News — Welfare Bear contributes approx. 200-300 million NTD in annual revenue to Fullmart annually↩
7. Bravo Bear Appears in Council After Plastic Surgery, Councilors Sarcastically Ask: Why Have You Become So Ugly? - Liberty Times Net — Council questioning of the 1.13 million NTD plastic surgery case for Bravo Bear↩
8. Rebranding Causes Twins, 20 Taipei City Councilors Sign Petition to Support Gold Medal Bravo Bear - NTDTV Asia — 20 Taipei City Councilors signed a petition opposing the rebranding of Bravo Bear↩
9. Bravo Bear's Annual Revenue 360k Makes It a Money-Losing Product? Taipei Bureau of Cultural Affairs: Evaluating Not to Collect Licensing Fees - LINE TODAY — Controversy over Bravo Bear's annual revenue of 360k vs. 10-million-level marketing budget↩
10. Bravo Bear's Marketing Expenses Allocated Nearly 16 Million Over Three Years - Hsu Chiao-Hsin Facebook — Councilor Hsu Chiao-Hsin disclosed that Bravo Bear's marketing expenses over three years were nearly 16 million NTD↩
11. Ximending Red House Reception Minister "Hongfu" Makes Debut - Yahoo Finance — Report on Ximending Red House's "Hongfu" making its debut in 2024↩
12. Why Choose a Fox as a Mascot? Originating from Taipei Inari Shrine - M1DOKU — Explanation of Hongfu's design originating from the Taipei Inari Shrine during the Japanese colonial period↩
13. Ximending Red House Original Character "Hongfu" Appears - Tanukii_don X — Hongfu's design details (Red House horizontal frieze, red-white pebble wash)↩
14. The Origin of Milkfish Boy! Is Ugliness Intentional? - Haha Taiwan Street Interview — Designer of Milkfish Boy's YouTube street interview stating "ugliness is intentional"↩
15. Taiwan's "9 Major Ugly Mascots" Make Netizens Laugh - Up Media — List of Taiwan's 9 major ugly mascots, including Penghu Pearl Little Child, Chengqian Fresh Oyster, etc.↩
16. Who Is Mr. Fish Head? Revealing the True Identities of Tainan's Viral Mascot and Major Domain Influencers - Uptogo — Introduction to Mr. Fish Head (SABABOY) designer Chen Yu-ren (Marco)↩
17. Viral! Tainan's "Mr. Fish Head" Bizarre Cross-Section Attracts 5 Million Japanese Visitors - Yahoo News — Japanese netizen shared Mr. Fish Head's cross-section photo, single X post exceeded 5 million visits↩
18. Bobo Pigeon Is a Pisces! Hates Being Called Fat - China Post Facebook — China Post Facebook post, Bobo Pigeon's Pisces setting and "hates being called fat"↩
19. Bobo Pigeon Seems to Have a Taboo About This Thing - Threads — Threads community user's extended discussion about Bobo Pigeon↩
20. Post Office Cute Series Small Puff Gift Box Goes Viral! Sold Out in 10 Minutes - MSN — Bobo Pigeon x Yih Wei co-branded mailbox stamp doll gift box sold out in 10 minutes↩
21. National Taiwan Literature Museum Mascot Plagiarism Incident - Wikipedia — Wikipedia entry: National Taiwan Literature Museum mascot "Ah Long" plagiarism incident (2024-05)↩
22. Literature Museum's "Ah Long" Plagiarism Incident, Northern Prosecutors Decide Not to Prosecute Chinese Illustrator - Yahoo News — Follow-up on "Ah Long" plagiarism incident, Northern Prosecutors decide not to prosecute Chinese illustrator↩
23. Cannot Live Without Puns! Tainan's "Caiqi Duck" Goes Viral, Attracting Thousands of Pilgrims - Yahoo News — Report on "Caiqi Duck" puns and Tainan market mascot going viral↩
24. Puns Have No Limits! Market Mascot "Caiqi Duck" Goes Viral - Sanli News Network — Sanli News Network report on "Caiqi Duck" social media spread phenomenon↩
25. Tainan's Cute Mascot "Caiqi Duck" Helps Upgrade Market Tourism - Threads — Threads post: Tainan market tourism and the "Caiqi Duck" effect↩