By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Most companies hopped on the bandwagon to make memes out of the latest season of the hit reality series Love Island USA, but only one brand saw it as a golden opportunity to launch a dating show just for brand mascots. Beverage company Vita Coco made headlines in July when they announced the debut of “Mascot Love.” It’s their Love Island USA parody “where icons catch feelings” featuring Vita Coco’s own coconut water carton mascot Coco Man. The star-studded lineup includes Geoffrey the Giraffe from Toys”R”Us, the Green Giant, LesserEvil, ABCmouse and many more characters.
PopIcon got the text — er, email! — to chat with Jane Prior, Chief Marketing Officer at The Vita Coco Company, about how casting characters on the show, the surprising original filming location before picking The Hamptons, and more about their own mascot Coco Man.
How did Vita Coco come up with the idea for a Love Island USA parody series specifically for brand mascots looking for love (and friendship)?
We were inspired by the overwhelming internet chatter around Love Island USA. That, coupled with the fact that most of our top performing content on TikTok involves our brand mascot, made a light bulb go off. Why not host the first ever dating show for brand mascots? There are already so many iconic interactions between brands and brand mascots on TikTok that we were confident that other brands would want in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DMvi17TucSh/?hl=en
What criteria went into selecting the brand mascots and personalities that would be part of this series?
Our content team moves at the speed of light. From the inception to the shoot date, we had about three weeks at best during a time of year where many are already traveling and busy. We prioritized brand mascots beloved by their fans and who matched our enthusiasm and ability to move quickly to bring the vision to life.
How did you decide on The Hamptons as the location?
The team’s initial idea was actually Coney Island, but then we started to think about the heat and the mascot’s comfort. We’re big on that and know firsthand those suits aren’t the easiest to wear, especially in the summer. So, with mascot comfort top of mind, we went hunting for a location reality TV fans could easily identify.
@vitacoco what happens when a new mascot enters the villa? #mascotlove
Will there be more mascots joining The Hamptons villa in the weeks to come or can we expect to focus solely on the characters there right now?
We followed the template of real dating shows and aimed to keep the audience on their feet, so you can most definitely expect some guest stars to show up!
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What has the experience been like manufacturing drama between brand mascots?
The brands who participated were all equally as excited by the concept as we were, so there was a true sense of enthusiasm and collaboration from the start. Of course, it wasn’t easy coordinating with so many brands – not to mention last minute dropouts or additions that we’d need to adjust the script around in real time. We also can’t forget that these mascots don’t really speak – so we had to put them in more dynamic situations where their body language and physical expressions could help tell the story and build the plot lines. Overall, it was a real team effort from all the brands to make the shot list and call time sheet come to life in a very short period of time.
We’re covering Mascot Love, but I need to know more about Vita Coco’s leading mascot: Coco Man. How long has Coco Man been the mascot for Vita Coco? How would you explain his personality in a few sentences?
Our TetraPak carton has always been an iconic representation of the Vita Coco brand, but our Coco Man mascot officially debuted on our social channels in 2024. He’s goofy, passionate, and a bit of an instigator. It’s no wonder he’s considered one of the most eligible bachelors on Mascot Love!
How many episodes can we expect to see from this series? When do they air and where? When does the season wrap up?
You can expect the series to run through the rest of summer, wrapping up around Labor Day. Episodes air Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays around 3pm EST on Vita Coco’s TikTok and Instagram.
Once Mascot Love wraps, what else is up Vita Coco’s sleeve in 2025?
We still have some great campaigns coming up the rest of the year. Most people don’t know that Vita Coco has 3.5x the electrolytes vs the leading sports drink, so right now we’re focused on communicating that message through athlete partners like Travis Hunter, Min Woo Lee, Weston McKennie, and Kai Novac.
We’re also working on bringing an interactive “concrete jungle gym” to New York City so people can experience the benefits of coconut water for working out first hand. Not to mention we have some upcoming campaigns around Halloween, spotlighting our new lineup of Vita Coco Treats, and the holidays, since coconut water is an amazing cocktail mixer.
And who knows, maybe a second season of Mascot Love is in our future…
Image credits: Vita Coco
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.
