Most Modern Mascot
By Benjamin Ryan

(MONEY Magazine) – Merrill Lynch has a bull; T. Rowe Price, a ram; and Dreyfus, a lion. But recently, a more modest-size creature has become the financial mascot of choice: the bulldog. KPMG, Franklin Templeton and BulldogResearch.com all feature this spokescreature in their ad campaigns.

Does the move to a knee-high domesticated animal mean that financial firms are softening their image? Hardly. Bulldogs were originally bred to attack large wild beasts, and these pooches could kick your average bull's butt. Bulldogs are also known for their tenacity, points out BulldogResearch co-president Brent Johnstone--a good quality when the market isn't moving straight up. Maybe Merrill's bull should watch what's nipping at its heels.

--BENJAMIN RYAN