Will you use a cuddly mascot to warn people about life-threatening disasters like tornadoes or killer typhoons? This is an issue raised at snarfd that caught my attention.
Meet Timmy the Twister, the adorable and always grinning mascot created by Memphis Weather Office in 2005 specifically to “raise the daily level of severe weather awareness”. Ironically, the moment you see this happy mascot you better pack up and stay alert because another terrible tornado is coming to town. Not the impression you want to get from a smiling mascot.
Last Tuesday, more than 2 dozens of tornadoes ripped US Mid-South from Texas to Ohio, killed more than 50, injured hundreds of people and destroyed so many properties. Tragic disasters like make you wonder why Timmy the Twister is still smiling. Or why he should be the bearer of bad news.
This is another case of disappointing disconnect between the message conveyed and symbols used. It’s like wearing a bright-colored outfit in a funeral. Tornado is no laughing matter and we should not treat it lightly.
In the presentation materials about Timmy, the logic behind this mascot is to have a character that grabs attention immediately and teaches children about safety. While the goals are right, they should have put more effort on the delivering the message correctly and creating the right character. Colors like red or black commonly seen on a “Danger” sign perhaps an evil character like the Grim Reaper are more suitable for these events.
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