Did Apple just launch a mascot?

Plus: puppet data that should embarrass every brand not using characters.

Mar 11 • Stef Hamerlinck

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February 2026

Nostalgia is everywhere. Only mascots get to keep it.

Dunkin' rented the '90s for 60 seconds. Kellogg's put a tiger on Spotify forever.

Feb 25 • Stef Hamerlinck

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The mascot cinematic universe is here

From masochistic marshmallows to a singing shark (plus a bonus that isn’t a mascot but should be)

Feb 18 • Stef Hamerlinck

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The haters are right about AI.

And they're also completely wrong. Here's what everyone is missing about AI and brand-building.

Feb 11 • Stef Hamerlinck

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Celebrity vs character: a fight in five rounds

The math on borrowing fame vs building it

Feb 4 • Stef Hamerlinck

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January 2026

Why your brand book isn't enough anymore

Why entertainment companies invest in universes while brands waste money on one-off campaigns

Jan 28 • Stef Hamerlinck

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Five mascots doing more for their brands than most CMOs

From distinctive blobs to real-time avatars, here's what winning looks like in 2026

Jan 21 • Stef Hamerlinck

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Brand mascots gone rogue.

5 surprising brand mascots that didn't follow the rules.

Jan 13 • Stef Hamerlinck

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What makes brand characters stick?

How to test your distinctive brand assets when they are not yet famous + a free test to see how well your mascot performs.

Jan 6 • Stef Hamerlinck

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December 2025

How to make your mascot talk: Lipsync tools compared

How to make your brand 15x more memorable by combining voice with characters.

Dec 29, 2025 • Stef Hamerlinck

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We just had the best year ever for mascots

A look back at 2025's breakthroughs and why they make mascots inevitable in the year ahead

Dec 23, 2025 • Stef Hamerlinck

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Welcome to Marcel's lab.

Weekly articles. All paid content free. The only newsletter on character-driven brands powered by AI.

Dec 19, 2025 • Stef Hamerlinck

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