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Brand mascots gone rogue.
5 surprising brand mascots that didn't follow the rules.
Jan 13
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Stef Hamerlinck
3
4
3
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
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Stef Hamerlinck
5
2
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
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Stef Hamerlinck
1
2
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
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Stef Hamerlinck
7
8
2
Welcome to Marcel's lab.
Weekly articles. All paid content free. The only newsletter on character-driven brands powered by AI.
Dec 19, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
Most Popular
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How to survive the AI flood.
Dec 17, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
3
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The 7 levels of brand engagement
Oct 5, 2024
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Stef Hamerlinck
23
11
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The AI Bubble Is Real (and That’s a Good Thing)
Nov 11, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
5
2
Brand evolution vs revolution
Mar 10, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
18
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Latest
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Discussions
How to survive the AI flood.
The problem wasn't AI. It was abandoning Ronald, Grimace, and McDonaldland. Disney gets it. Arnold gets it. Here's what 95% of the commentary missed.
Dec 17, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
3
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[Classified] Buckle Up Briefing #11: From brand mascots to brand companions.
A deep dive into live, conversational brand mascots powered by AI.
Dec 1, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
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The AI companions are coming...
As AI companions flood the market, personality becomes the only moat.
Nov 26, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
2
The AI Bubble Is Real (and That’s a Good Thing)
And what does it mean for brand-building? + My first short film with Marcel.
Nov 11, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
5
2
The future of branding is generative.
Why i’m betting on Gen‑ai, and the most common lies about it debunked.
Aug 7, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
11
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The billion-dollar cow mascot that survived her own company’s bankruptcy 🐄💰
The playbook for modern brands from an 88-year-old cow mascot that just won't die.
Dec 13, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
1
[Classified] The Bucke Up Briefing #10: Characters Are Eating the Internet (And Getting Zillow Listings)
Pillsbury's house is for sale, your dog is now IP, and AI mascots are learning to annoy you on purpose. The character economy just got weird. + a full…
Nov 14, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
1
35:21
[Exclusive screening] Buckle Up Briefing #9: The future of branding keynote.
Exclusive sneak peak at my keynote next Thursday at Tectonic.
Nov 5, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
[Classified] Buckle Up Briefing #8: 5 brands making real ads with AI today.
Real brands, real AI ads
Oct 21, 2025
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Stef Hamerlinck
2
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