Get to Know Butterbear, The New Internet Sensation and Viral Mascot

Butterbear has taken the internet by storm and has captured the hearts of many. Get to know the mascot, as well as the dessert store she works at.

Thanawan “Boom” Vongcharoenrat has been involved in the F&B industry for quite some time. After all, she’s the heir of the Coffee Beans by Dao restaurant, and owner of the Skinnylicious brand.

As she founded a new dessert and pastry shop in Emsphere, she created a cute mascot to represent the brand. Of course, a fluffy bear would make perfect sense, and the social media platforms for the store prominently featured Butterbear.

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[Hero and featured image credit: Butterbear/Instagram]

Get to know Butterbear: The story of an internet sensation and viral mascot

Whilst the internet is a hub for content, just having something cute isn’t close enough to go viral. Butterbear went on to become Line Stickers, as well as a content creator in her own right. She would call herself “Nong Noey,” and created videos cover-dancing various Asian pop songs, reaction videos, and hopping on trends that would solidify her identity.

She also put out music videos, collaborations with Thai artists, and even “behind the scenes” from her shoots. At this point, her meet-and-greets are attended by hundreds of people, and a number of her reels go past the one million viewership mark.

The most interesting part is that fans on social media interact with Butterbear not as a mascot with someone inside, but as like with a little girl; an internet idol with personality.

Butterbear: A masterclass in brand identity and mascot marketing

What many people see is a masterclass in brand identity and mascot marketing. “We wanted to create something for all the five senses, doing more than just a pastry shop,” says Boom in an interview. “Mascots invoke a positive energy, gives the brand a sense of uniqueness, and helps connect the brand with customers.”

This helps the Butterbear pastry shop sell more than just pastry. Merchandise centred around the mascot have been extremely successful, with Butterbear keychains aimed to sell out in three months, sold out in just a week. The shop’s general sales have also been 10 times more successful since Butterbear’s mainstream virality.

Initially, Butterbear became a huge hit for the Chinese demographic, so popular that her merchandise even has fake knock-offs. As it turns out, Butterbear now has fans from all over the world, as well as a solid Thai fan base.

Butterbear, G/F Open daily 10am-10pm. Tel. 064 894 9452. You can find more information at Butterbear’s Instagram. 

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Bangkok