Dive Brief:
- The UPS Store on Monday introduced Blu, its first brand character, per information shared with Marketing Dive.
- Blu, a friendly woman wearing a blue UPS polo and black pants, is part of a larger national, multiyear campaign set to run on television, digital, social and print channels. The effort is aimed at small business owners and spotlights the retailer’s services, such as printing, shipping and mailboxes.
- Paramount Media Labs is behind new spots that pair Blu with NFL player and small business owner Aidan Hutchinson. The ads will run on Paramount streaming and CBS, with additional content set to run on digital and social channels through early November.
Dive Insight:
UPS’ new character is part of an effort to provide support to the franchisor’s locations, which are largely owned and operated by independent franchisees. Blu helps the UPS Store unify its brand messaging around promoting services beyond shipping.
Characters have seen a surge in popularity for marketers, especially for brands looking to stand out in competitive industries or advertise somewhat mundane services, such as insurance, with a bit of comedy and liveliness. In August, tool company Stanley introduced a sentient, wisecracking toolbox named Stan in its “All Build. No Bull” campaign. Liberty Mutual unveiled a fuzzy yellow puppet named Liberty Biberty in July.
Campaign spots show Blu appearing through a portal to help owners with a variety of tasks. In one 30-second commercial, the character assists a plumber with printing and shredding. In another, the owner of a custom sneaker brand needs a business mailbox.
The effort follows a recent pivot by United Parcel Service, the parent company of The UPS Store, to focus on premium services., In early 2025, it announced it was reducing deliveries for Amazon by over 50% in early 2025. The reduction in volume led to a broad restructuring of the company’s network, including the elimination of 48,000 jobs that year, with an additional reduction of 30,000 positions planned for 2026.
The decision was spurred by the low margins on Amazon deliveries. The company is focused on “capturing premium volume,” from customers such as small and medium business, health care and B2B, per Carol Tomé, CEO and director of UPS, during a Q2 earnings call.
UPS posted consolidated revenues totaling $22.8 billion in Q2, per an earnings release.
