By Tim Binnall
A Wisconsin city is the latest to embrace the world of cryptozoology by way of their new mascot: Sam the Sasquatch. According to a local media report, the community of South Milwaukee unveiled the character last week with a rather elaborate rollout featuring an interactive website, an extensive social media presence, and a video wherein the faux Bigfoot shared his origin story. "I’ve always just wanted to find a place to settle down, a place where I can be accepted for who I really am," the proverbial spokesquatch mused before declaring "then I found South Milwaukee" and extolling all of the virtues of the community.
The mascot is the brainchild of the ad agency Savage Solutions, which was enlisted by the city to develop a new marketing campaign for the community. Initially inspired by longstanding reports of mysterious mountain lions said to roam around the area, their brainstorming sessions ultimately led them to Bigfoot and, shortly thereafter, the concept of Sam the Sasquatch was born. Since his debut last week, the mascot has made multiple public appearances throughout the community and visited a variety of small businesses as part of a future promotional projects centered around the character.
South Milwaukee is no stranger to outside-the-box ideas aimed at attracting tourists as it also boasts a statue dedicated to legendary pro wrestler and beloved native son Reggie 'Da Crusher' Lisowski. By virtue of their new mascot, the city joins a growing number of communities and institutions that have adopted the iconic cryptid as their own, including a new public school in Florida, towns in North Carolina and New York, and the NBA's Portland Trailblazers. The most similar character to South Milwaukee's Sam is undoubtedly the Utah City Yeti, another costumed 'creature' serving as the spokesquatch for their community, leading us to hope for a future collaboration between the two.