The Bearcat: From Jungle Legend to Marketing Mascot
How a mysterious animal became the unlikely hero of our inbound strategy.
Long before the bearcat (also known as the binturong) became the University of Cincinnati’s beloved mascot and a viral meme sensation, it was mostly famous for smelling like buttered popcorn and confusing biologists everywhere. Our marketing team, desperate for a fresh campaign angle, stumbled upon the bearcat’s Wikipedia page during a late-night brainstorming session (and possibly after too much coffee).
Inspired by the bearcat’s quirky charm, we launched the “Unleash Your Inner Bearcat” campaign. Our first blog post explained how the bearcat isn’t actually a bear or a cat, but a tree-dwelling mammal with a tail that works like a fifth limb. We threw in some fun facts—like how bearcats love fruit and occasionally nap upside down—and invited readers to take a quiz to find out their own “bearcat spirit trait.”
To our surprise, the campaign took off! Alumni started sharing their bearcat stories, local zoos offered virtual meet-and-greets, and one particularly enthusiastic prospect even emailed us a photo of their dog dressed as a bearcat. Website traffic soared, and our team learned that sometimes, the best way to stand out is to embrace your wild side—especially if your wild side smells like popcorn.
So next time you’re looking for marketing inspiration, take a cue from the bearcat: be a little mysterious, a little playful, and never underestimate the power of a great tail (or tale).