Character and pet skits
A mascot, an animal or a character acts out human situations.
- Difficulty
- Needs editing skills
- Video length
- 6–20 s
- Brand cases
- 8, 5 with video
- Markets
- South Korea, United States, Germany, Denmark
- Sources checked
- Nov 2026
What the format is
The brand’s account stars a character with a personality: a mascot with feelings about the brand’s news, a pet with a job, a CGI character reacting to trends. A recurring character turns single posts into a series people follow.
Beat by beat
- 1Character in a situation0–1 s
- 2Reaction1–4 s
- 3Escalation4–7 s
- 4Callback7–10 s
- 1. 0–1 s
Character in a situation
A relatable moment: Monday morning, a queue, a group chat.
- 2. 1–4 s
Reaction
The character’s reaction is the joke. Keep it readable on mute.
- 3. 4–7 s
Escalation
One more beat that pushes the situation further.
- 4. 7–10 s
Callback
A catchphrase or running gag that rewards followers.
Why it works
- Characters build a relationship over many posts, which a single product ad can’t.
- An animal or a mascot can say things a brand can’t say in its own voice.
- A strong character can be reused for years and across markets.
How brands shot it
8 cases, 5 with the original video. The videos come from the brands’ own accounts or their agencies and play in the platform’s player.
GS25
The GS25 convenience-store character Pyeonjjogi answers everyday questions in a witty Gen-Alpha speaking style in YouTube Shorts under a 'Pyeon-GPT' format.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by GS25 l 이리오너라 (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: iNews24
Domino's
Introducing Mac Scott10K followers in one dayTo launch its 5-Cheese Mac & Cheese, Domino’s created Mac Scott, a life-size penne mascot with his own personality on TikTok and other social channels. The video is the agency’s case film.
- Result
- Domino's gained 10,000 new social followers in one day after launching Mac Scott in October. According to the brand (Digiday).
- Made by
- Chemistry
- Video
- Vimeo, posted by Chemistry (agency account)
Trade pressRead the source: Digiday
Lotte Chilsung (Saero)
SaerogumiZero-sugar soju Saero is fronted by Saerogumi, a nine-tailed fox character who stars in animated story episodes on the brand’s YouTube channel.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by 롯데칠성 주류 (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: iNews24
Fruit of the Loom
15.6M+ viewsThe fruit mascots came back as a cast of TikTok skits set at the brand’s HQ, where a new “chief TikToker” tries to make them go viral, starting with an argument over which trend to join.
- Result
- Since launching in September 2023, the 23 TikTok videos amassed over 15.6 million total views. According to the agency (The Shorty Awards).
- The campaign won in the Storytelling category at the 16th Annual Shorty Awards. Source: The Shorty Awards.
- Made by
- GSD&M
- Video
- TikTok, posted by @fruitoftheloom (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Marketing Dive
Binggrae
Binggraeus the MashisUp to 140K followersBinggrae handed its official Instagram to a 2D character, the self-styled heir of the Binggrae Kingdom, and turned its best-known products into characters with titles of their own.
- Result
- After the character debuted on February 24, 2020, Binggrae's Instagram followers jumped from the 90,000s to 140,000. According to CEO Score Daily.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by 빙그레(Binggrae) (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: CEO Score Daily
No original video yet
Duolingo
Mit der Cult Mass34.83M impressionsAfter the owl’s staged “death” went viral, Duolingo Germany brought Duo back as the high priest of a cult, in TikTok skits that turned streaks into rituals and followers into worshippers.
- Result
- The campaign generated 34.83 million impressions across Germany. According to TikTok for Business.
- The campaign won Greatest TikTok at the TikTok Ad Awards 2025. Source: TikTok for Business.
Trade pressRead the source: TikTok for Business
No original video yet
CBB Mobil
43 purchases in 2 weeksThe Danish telecom ran a TikTok account fronted by a life-size yellow mascot costume, based on its 3D animated TV figures, presented as the brand's social media manager and given a personality aimed at Gen Z.
- Result
- A paid test campaign on TikTok drove 43 completed purchases in two weeks. According to the agency (Sunrise).
- Made by
- Sunrise
Brand or agency pageRead the source: Sunrise
No original video yet
Scrub Daddy
1.8M+ TikTok followersThe giant smiley sponge mascot stars in much of the brand's TikTok content, with videos that openly joke about being ads and lean on absurdist humor for Gen Z.
- Result
- Scrub Daddy has amassed over 1.8 million followers on TikTok. According to YPulse.
Trade pressRead the source: YPulse
Where it took off
Duolingo’s owl is the most widely covered case of a mascot running a brand’s social account in character, with a passive-aggressive persona that built a large TikTok following. In Korea, Binggrae’s character-run Instagram, launched in February 2020, is an earlier documented case.
Make it yours
- Food & drink
A dumpling mascot dreads its lunch-rush shift like an office worker.
- Finance
A piggy-bank character reacts to each day of the month before payday.
- Retail
The store cat reviews new arrivals by sitting in their boxes.
Make your version
Type your product and get a storyboard of this format, with one prompt per beat, ready for a video generator.
A generator can make the shots; getting the idea right is on you
Storyboard
- 1. 0–1 s
Character in a situation
A mascot character for your product in an office desk on a Monday morning, in a relatable everyday moment.
- 2. 1–4 s
Reaction
The character reacts with an exaggerated expression; the reaction is the joke.
- 3. 4–7 s
Escalation
One more beat that pushes the situation further.
- 4. 7–10 s
Callback
A callback moment: the character with your product and its catchphrase pose.
The whole video in one prompt
Enter your email to open the full prompt. We’ll also send you the weekly brief; unsubscribe any time.
The prompt also works in Kling, Veo, Seedance and other video generators.
Before you generate
- Upload a photo of your real product to the generator (image to video), so the packaging, logo and label stay right.
- Make a still frame first and animate only the one you like: video costs more.
- Label the result as AI-generated where the platform asks for it, and say it is CGI if it could pass for a real stunt.
- This is your own take on the format, not a copy of a brand’s ad. Leave out other brands’ logos, people and music.
How to produce it
A costume or puppet filmed on a phone, or a 2D or CGI character. A consistent personality matters more than production value.
Seen a brand use this?
Send us the link. If it checks out, it goes into the library with credit to you.
Suggest a case