The Sun Bum Mascot is a beloved symbol of beachside fun and protection. This mascot represents the Sun Bum brand, which focuses on providing high-quality sun protection products for beachgoers. The main idea behind the Sun Bum Mascot is to remind individuals to take care of their skin while enjoying the sun. This character is often depicted as a friendly, anthropomorphic sun wearing sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. The Sun Bum Mascot serves as a reminder to apply and reapply sunscreen, wear protective clothing, seek shade, and stay hydrated while enjoying outdoor activities. The bold emphasis is on the importance of sun protection and responsible sun exposure.
Sun Bum: Brand Positioning Case Study
A few weeks ago my family was on Spring Break and needed sunscreen. We now buy Sun Bum exclusively. Which is 2X as expensive as other leading brands. Yikes, I know.
But why? Is it because of the adorable monkey mascot? Is it because it smells like summer? Is it the beach hippie aesthetic I’m actually fond of?
I then realized it’s because of all of it. And it’s good for business. They were just acquired for $400M by SC Johnson.
Big bucks for a sunscreen brand, which means it’s time to get into this week’s breakdown…
💼 The Brand: Sun Bum
Sun Bum was born in 2010. The brain child of Tom Rinks — who also happens to be the creative genius by the “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua.
Apparently Tom knows a thing or two about making brand mascots. Because Sun Bum’s Sonny might be the coolest (and only) sunscreen mascot I’ve ever seen.
💛 The Heart (Mission & Vision)
Sun Bum’s origin story is simple. The owners live on the beach and were tired of putting on sunscreen every day that smelled bad, felt sticky, and was a bad experience for them and the environment.
So they made their own.
And that’s how this simple mission was born: “We care about the planet. We care about the animals. We care about our families. So, we continue to look for ways to make our products without stuff that could hurt any of them.”
👤 The Head (Strategy & Positioning)
Sun Bum has a fun, laid back “beach hippie” brand personality that flows through every aspect of their product. So much so that it stands out easily in a sea of bottles stamped with generic palm trees and coconuts. This didn’t happen by accident either.
Tom Rinks is a brand building wizard and shares about this strategy in a recent episode of How I Built This.
It’s wild to think that you can grow a sunscreen brand into a $400M behemoth, but if you can grow a water brand into the hundreds of millions, nothing is too crazy.
Want to know your brand personality? Take our 2-minute quiz here .
✋ The Hands (Tactics)
Sun Bum has crafted an intentional brand experience using several different tactics…
One of the most unique is their “Bum Rush” tour where they travel to random public beaches, “judge” the surfers (who are unaware they’re being judged), and one is awarded a fat $1,000 check.
Sun Bum has fun infusing their website with personality too. Not only do they offer an air freshener that smells like summer, but they claim it helps eliminate “car stank — inlcuding but not limited to decaying burritos, wet bikinis, dog breath, grandmas' perfume, petrified french fries and whatever else you got living under your seat.”
And finally, as I was wrapping up my research on this last night at 10:30PM I clicked their chat bot expecting a bit of personality. I wasn’t disappointed as it informed me their team was busy “catchin the sunset” and would be back Monday.
How You Can Steal Their Strategy
Don’t Be Boring. That might sounds like simplistic advice, but it’s an overlooked and highly effective strategy. Sunscreen is boring… usually. But when you add in extreme levels of intentionality and infuse every aspect of your brand with personality — the look, the feel, the smell — you can even make sun screen fun.
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Sun Bum Is Dressing Statues Like Bananas In All 50 States for Skin Cancer Awareness Month
The funny campaign debuts May 1st—and stay tuned for Sun Bum's new Summer of Love collection, featuring a heart logo on its packaging.
Marie Redding, Senior Editor 04.29.21Sun Bum is launching the 'We Are Not Bananas' campaign on Saturday, May 1st—just in time for Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
The new campaign continues the message Sun Bum began to spread with its #BananaSuitChallenge in 2019—when the brand asked consumers to dress in a banana suit and take a photo. Athlete Isabella Nichols wore a banana suit on a motorcycle in the photo above (by @RYZphoto) and posted it on Instagram in May 2019.
This year, Sun Bum will continue to spread its message on social media by posting 'banana suit' photos—especially TikTok, where the brand will create content with original music to capture Gen Z's attention.
The bold emphasis is on the importance of sun protection and responsible sun exposure. Whether it's on sunscreen bottles, promotional materials, or social media posts, the Sun Bum Mascot is an emblem that encourages individuals to take proper precautions against the sun's harmful rays. By promoting sun safety in a fun and approachable way, this mascot helps individuals make informed choices to protect their skin and enjoy the sun responsibly.
Statues in All 50 States, In a Banana Suit
Sun Bum will dress 50 statues across the U.S. in banana suits throughout May, to help spread the message that many forms of skin cancer are preventable. Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide.
Why a Banana Suit?
Sun Bum's mascot is Sunny the Ape——and because bananas are protected head to toe, just like we should be, the brand explains.
Russell Radebaugh, vice president of Marketing & International, Sun Bum, says, "1 in 5 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. Sun Bum has always been a source of positivity and community. With our non-scare tactic approach of dressing statues in banana suits, we hope to create great awareness and virality to change the stat to 1 in 6 and remind everyone to use sunscreen daily."
Plus—the statues won't be in just any banana suit. Sun Bum recruited Hollywood costume designer Erik Dixon, who led a team of pattern makers, tailors, and local seamstresses in each state to create custom suits. Each statue required more than 20 fittings.
Which Statues Will Look Like a Banana?
Sun Bum says its team had hundreds of conversations with public art commissions, government agencies, city mayors, museum curators and more.
Stay tuned for the big reveal.
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Reviews for "How the Sun Bum Mascot Captured the Imagination of Sun Seekers Everywhere"
1. Sarah - ⭐️⭐️
I wasn't a fan of the Sun Bum mascot. I found it to be quite obnoxious and annoying. It seemed like it was trying too hard to be funny and it just fell flat for me. The mascot's exaggerated facial expressions and constant winking became grating after a while. I don't think it added anything positive to my experience with the brand and it actually made me feel less inclined to purchase their products.
2. Mark - ⭐️
I found the Sun Bum mascot to be a complete turn-off. It felt like a desperate attempt to attract attention and stand out, but in my opinion, it was just too over-the-top and tacky. The constant presence of the mascot in their advertising and packaging actually made me question the quality of their products. It gave me the impression that they were relying on a gimmick rather than focusing on delivering a great product. Overall, I was disappointed and unimpressed by the Sun Bum mascot.
3. Emily - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
While I didn't hate the Sun Bum mascot, I have to admit that it didn't appeal to me either. I found it to be a bit childish and it didn't resonate with my personal style. The mascot's cartoonish design and zany antics felt more suitable for a children's brand rather than a brand targeting adults. I prefer a more sophisticated and minimalist aesthetic, so the mascot just didn't align with my preferences. However, I understand that it may appeal to others, so I wouldn't completely write off Sun Bum based on the mascot alone.
4. Ryan - ⭐️
The Sun Bum mascot was a major turn-off for me. It felt like a juvenile attempt to appeal to a younger audience, but it just came across as cheesy and immature. The mascot's exaggerated features and silly antics did nothing to convince me of the quality of their products. In fact, it made me question the brand's professionalism and credibility. I prefer a more subtle and sophisticated approach when it comes to branding, and the Sun Bum mascot missed the mark for me completely.