Brand Mascots Are Back!
Inside Habit's new mascot, and their NYC pop up
GM everyone. I’m writing this from the airport, about to fly to Florida to get away from New York for a little bit. I’m stoked to swim, tan, read some books and avoid checking my phone. I brought ‘Miami’ by Joan Didion and ‘The Creative Act’ by Rick Rubin.
In Today’s Newsletter—
An Inside Look at Habit’s New Mascot & NYC Pop Up
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Habit is a science-backed supplements brand offering a comprehensive line of daily vitamins to help with energy, mood, metabolism, and even libido.
They recently worked with This January, a creative agency, to launch their first mascot: HABBIE.
Habbie is a (literally) 7 foot tall, life-sized vitamin bottle representing the brand’s approachable stance on democratizing wellness with easy, non-GMO, Made in USA formulations.
To celebrate HABBIE, they’re opening a pop-up bodega here in Nolita this weekend where you can check out the brand, grab some free drinks, and get your photo with NYC’s most in-demand life-sized vitamin bottle.
I spoke with This January’s Partner & Executive Creative Director, Maggie Winters, to get the inside scoop on Habit’s new campaign/mascot, and then with my friends Juliana Goldman and Ryan Mathew from Potion on what to expect at the pop-up.
Meet HABBIE w/ This January’s Maggie Winters
Maggie Winters and Zach Goodwin are the cofounders of This January. As creative partners for over a decade, they’ve built brands and campaigns for everything from international airline launches for Lufthansa to a mushroom brand for Wiz Khalifa.
Jake Bell: Talk to me about the creative inspiration/strategy behind personifying Habit with their new mascot.Â
Maggie Winters: Brand mascots are a long-beloved tradition that’s fallen out of favor in recent years*. But it’s a tried and true technique — even modern-day Santa was originally a brand mascot for Coke. And mascots are known to grow brands; a 2018 study found that campaigns including a mascot are 37% more likely to increase market share than those without (Adweek).
The vitamin category is drowning in a sea of yellow bottles, dreadfully boring and impossible to remember. In audience interviews, half our interviewees couldn’t recall their vitamin brand, or misremembered the brand name.Â
We went hunting for an idea that would naturally stretch across platforms, and emotionally resonant enough to stick in our audience’s minds. And a brand mascot seemed like the perfect way to break through a boring, outdated category.Â
JB: Did any iconic mascots play a role in inspiring HABBIE? What are your all time favorite mascots?Â
MW: When we were designing HABBIE, we asked ourselves: what happens if you put the Kool-Aid Man, the Michelin Man, and Duo into a blender with a dozen different supplements? Â
JB: How did This January pull off bringing HABBIE from design to real life? Is it difficult to get a real, 7ft tall mascot costume created in 2024?Â
MW: The team at This January did dozens of sketches and mockups and even asked Midjourney to pitch in sketches before ultimately landing on HABBIE.
HABBIE is a larger-than-life, softbody being that vaguely looks like the HABIT vitamin bottle.Â
The large square head shakes slowly side to side, as if to sweetly disagree with its audience. The overalls mimic the label on the bottle, so that when a viewer sees the mascot they’re subtly reminded of the product itself.Â
And, HABBIE features heart eyes to show the audience that he always loves and supports them, no matter what.Â
JB: Could you share more about the campaign you guys put together for HABIT?Â
MW: Yes, we’d love to! The entire case study including images/video can be found here.Â
Our goal is for HABBIE to live on for many years, growing the HABIT brand into a category leader alongside those famous yellow vitamin bottles, proving that vitamins can have fun.
This January is a creative agency building tomorrow’s most interesting challenger brands. For more about This January, check out their story.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT HABIT’S BODEGA POP UP w/ Potion
Next I linked up with the geniuses at Potion, who organized Habit’s first brick-and-mortar location, on what to expect this weekend—
Jake Bell: What can attendees expect from the pop-up this weekend?Â
Juliana Goldman: Attendees can expect a refreshing twist on what another supplement brand might offer with our pop-up Bodega for HABIT this week. People will have the opportunity to purchase Habit products, explore the brand’s offerings, and meet Habit’s cute new mascot, HABBIE (shout out to This January!). We're definitely excited to unveil what’s been a true labor of love.Â
Ryan Mathew: We worked closely with the client to build a creative space where developing good habits is both fun and interactive. It’s a distinct visual identity that blends a pharmacy aesthetic with a bodega vibe. We’re creating a ton of fun moments within the space through our programming and partnerships throughout the next few days.
JB: Why was it important to bring Habit to a brick-and-mortar location?Â
RM: Bringing Habit to a brick-and-mortar location was a strategic move to help them deepen connections with their community and create brand exposure. By bringing this space to life, we can actually build a stronger community.
JG: Exactly! It’s here to help the brand interact with their customers in ways that online platforms can't really replicate. This activation not only allows them to promote healthy habits more effectively but also sets the stage for future community-focused events and interactions. More to come there, so stay tuned.
JB: How did Habit's product offerings play a role in curating the pop up's programming.
JG: Habit’s product offerings are rooted in the philosophy of nurturing better daily rituals, and this guided the strategy of the Bodega pop-up’s programming. Potion designed everything to both highlight the benefits of Habit’s products as well as emphasize the actual daily habits they each support. For instance, one of their most popular products is the Libido capsule, which led us to come up with an Erotic Poetry workshop for a press event we’re hosting. We’re leaning heavy into self-care while also keeping the fun alive with our Bodega Block Party on Saturday because Habit is all about balance. Our goal is to always create experiences that actually resonate with people and deepen their connection to the brand.
I went to the first night of the pop up last night, where I was able to snag a ton of Habit vitamins and partake in an erotic poetry session… in celebration of their libido enhancing gummies.
I’ll be taking a few of the supplements over the next week and I’ll be sure to give you my honest thoughts.
If you’re around this weekend, go check out Habit’s pop up this weekend at 251 Elizabeth Street. Tell them Who Do You Know? sent you.
TAKING A WEEK OFF
While I’m gone this next week, I’m going to be taking 1 week off from the newsletter.
That’s the plan at least, we’ll see if I can actually take a break.
When I return, I’m going to have some exciting updates on the next evolution of Who Do You Know? and the brand’s first product…
Stay tuned.
Love you all, even the haters.
Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.
Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio
There was a great piece about mascots in Fast Company last year! https://www.fastcompany.com/90999615/pop-tarts-edible-mascot-branding-trends
Habbie is giving Stay Puft Marshmallow Man vibes, but way cuter.