By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
In early September 2025, smartphone case brand OtterBox announced their brand mascot Ollie, a fun-loving otter, had gone missing. The brand put out an SOS on Instagram and encouraged OtterBox fans to join in the search via social media in the “Find Ollie” sweepstakes.
Ollie has since been found, but we were intrigued by the mysterious mascot. Who is this character? How did he become the face of OtterBox and an advocate for protecting phones everywhere? A Google deep dive on our end resulted in little more beyond stuffed Ollies for sale on eBay, a couple of viral Facebook posts featuring Ollie hanging out at OtterBox HQ, and a fascinating ’80s throwback “Action Ollie” spot from 2017.
We learned so much more about Ollie after speaking with an OtterBox representative. This little guy works hard at the OtterBox headquarters (he’s a boon for social media engagement) and plays harder as the bassist in all-otter punk band. And Ollie’s going down in PopIcon history as distinctly the first — and to date, only — brand mascot to be referred to as a “fuzzier George Carlin.”
How long has Ollie been the brand mascot for OtterBox?
Ollie has been a part of OtterBox since day one. When our founders originally launched OtterBox, they had envisioned the company as an outdoor brand and chose to include “Otter” in the name to encompass the fun, playful spirit of the brand. Ollie began as more of an internal mascot, becoming a beloved figure within the company culture. However, he snuck out of our headquarters one night, and now he just shows up unannounced to community events, social media productions and anywhere there’s free lunch.
How would you describe Ollie’s personality?
@otterbox Let’s hope there aren’t any emergencies. 🫶 #otterboxit #otterbox #phonecase #emergencycontact
Ollie is a self-described scamp with a heart of gold and eye for mischief. His sense of humor is cheeky and witty like an even fuzzier George Carlin, which resonates with our audience.
Has Ollie undergone any major design revamps? Or has he looked pretty much the same since his debut?
Yes, this year Ollie got a bit of a glow-up as part of our Made for Yes campaign. He found some grooming tutorials on OtterTok and begged us to give him more screentime, so we obliged. That’s why he’s in more marketing efforts. How do you say no to an otter?
We found a 1980s toy commercial spoof “Action Ollie” which positions Ollie as the ultimate protector of smartphones from the elements (and BBQ sauce). Can you share what it was like to work with CP+B on this spot? Or the Peyton Manning cameo?
Well, if you ask Ollie, the Action Ollie doll was the greatest product that never was. Unfortunately, focus groups found it too radical, so it was shelved. But not before CP+B filmed the commercial with a little help from our friend Peyton Manning, whom Ollie refers to as a real class act.
Ollie went missing in September and only the fans were able to find him. How did OtterBox come up with the idea for “Find Ollie?”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DOG4kp7jZUu
Ollie is slippery and has a history of running off. It happened right before we filmed our Made For Yes brand campaign video in partnership with Digitas, in which he made a few surprise cameos. This inspired our “Find Ollie” scavenger hunt. We wanted our audience to see more of his mischievous side.
How did the search go?
People loved it. Our online community was able to track down our beloved mascot. In fact, it was our fastest growing giveaway on Instagram in the past three years. We saw an 866% growth in engagements during the giveaway period with our content getting close to half a million views. We appreciate our entire community (and new fans alike) for joining in on the fun. All the winners have been contacted.
What goes into filming a day in Ollie’s life around the OtterBox HQ?
@otterbox Look who’s back from PTO! We love Ollie, but we draw the line at looking at vacation photos. #AprilFools
No one has a busier schedule at OtterBox HQ than Ollie. Except maybe the intern who brushes his fur. Each week, the OtterBox social team meets to discuss the latest trends and how we can translate them into thumb-stopping, relatable brand content.
As Ollie is such a fan favorite online, we invite him to join in where we can as the lovable face behind our brand, while also showcasing all the amazing employees who make our brand so strong.
What would surprise OtterBox fans about Ollie?
He plays bass in an all-otter punk band called The Water Weasels.
He’s also a big Travis Kelce fan after hearing that otters are his favorite animal.
Does Ollie have any mascot buddies?
Ollie’s been lucky enough to hang out with some pretty cool mascots including Miles from the Denver Broncos and Cam the Ram of Colorado State University.
Post “Find Ollie,” what’s up next for Ollie in 2025 and beyond? Similarly, does OtterBox have any news or updates they’d like to share before the year wraps?
Ollie is making his debut as a sticker with our new Encore case that recently launched. It’s a fun way to bring his playful personality into the product experience.
Expect to see a lot more Ollie in the next year! (As long as he doesn’t run off again.)
Image credits: OtterBox
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
