American canned tuna brand StarKist and agency Tombras are launching a strategy to promote their 65-year-old mascot Charlie the Tuna across social media. The company controls 75% of the U.S. market for single-serve tuna packets and plans to leverage the mascot to attract Generation Z—the strategy centers on integrating the character into cultural conversations through unconventional content formats.
Why brands are bringing back mascots
Tombras President Duly Tombras views mascots as a key tool for the industry. When executed properly, they outperform personal brand ambassadors—the agency points to Duolingo's owl mascot Duo as a successful case study. Tombras has been appointed as StarKist's full-service agency, tasked with positioning Charlie at the center of the brand's communications.
Michael Merritt, vice president of marketing and innovation at StarKist, explains the decision as a countertrend to the corporate symbol phase-out—flour producer Bob's Red Mill recently retired its mascot. StarKist is moving in the opposite direction: the company is conducting its first major mascot refresh since 1999, when the character was visually redesigned. Merritt insists on the term "refresh" rather than rebrand—Charlie's recognition remains intact.
Social-first approach in influencer marketing
Tombras is building the strategy with social media as the priority channel—a decision driven by StarKist's media budget. Tombras acknowledges that the brand rarely participated in cultural conversations and sees an opportunity to expand brand influence beyond its typical category. The agency plans to use Charlie to generate viral formats and tap into trending topics.
StarKist has rarely been part of cultural conversations—this is the key opportunity to strengthen the brand's position in the media landscape
Targeting focuses on younger audiences against the backdrop of the proteinmaxxing trend—a mass movement around high-protein diets. StarKist is promoting its tuna packets as a source of "clean protein," convenient for snacking and sports nutrition. The company holds leading positions in the U.S. canned tuna market and aims to expand its share in the single-serve segment among Gen Z and millennials.
Data driving creative
A year ago, StarKist began searching for a new agency—initially, bringing on an integrated partner wasn't part of the plan. Merritt highlights Tombras's data-driven approach to creative work as the deciding factor in the selection. The agency works with a portfolio of FMCG brands: RXBAR protein bars, Sweethearts candies, and MoonPie biscuits—experience in the fast-moving consumer goods category proved advantageous during the pitch.
Merritt frames the task as preparing a century-old brand for its next growth phase. Tombras receives full control over the communications strategy—from developing content with the mascot to placing it across social media and measuring campaign effectiveness.
Russian brands with established visual identities should evaluate the potential of mascots in social channels—a character offers flexibility in formats and simplifies work with influencers. When launching such a strategy, precise audience targeting, KPI forecasting for engagement, and selecting relevant platforms for integrations are critical. If you need help adapting a brand character for digital communications or building a media plan with influencer participation, the ETC team assists with influencer selection aligned to positioning, reach calculation, and media buying across social networks.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a brand need a mascot in 2025
A mascot creates a stable visual anchor and simplifies content adaptation to trends—a character integrates more easily into memes and social formats than an abstract logo. Successful examples like Duolingo's Duo demonstrate growth in organic reach and engagement through a recognizable character.
How to measure mascot promotion effectiveness
Measurement is based on engagement metrics (engagement rate), growth in brand mentions (share of voice), and conversions from social channels to sales. For FMCG, brand awareness indicators and purchase intent following content exposure are critical.
Does influencer advertising work for mass-market products
Influencer integrations show high effectiveness for FMCG with the right platform selection—audience overlap between the influencer and target consumers and organic placement integration are key. For food products, recipe formats, ingredient reviews, and inclusion in health and wellness content perform well.
Bottom line
- StarKist controls 75% of the U.S. single-serve tuna market and is launching a refresh of its 65-year-old mascot to attract Gen Z
- Tombras is building a social media strategy focused on embedding the mascot into cultural context through unconventional formats
- The proteinmaxxing trend creates demand for high-protein products—StarKist positions its packets as a convenient protein source
- A data-driven approach to creative was the deciding factor in agency selection—Tombras analyzes the effectiveness of each content format
- Mascots perform better when properly adapted for digital—the character simplifies creating viral formats and collaborating with influencers
Want to see where the market is heading before your competitors do? The ETC team builds a media strategy and media plan for your niche — with reach forecasts and KPIs fixed in the contract.
