Brawny Brings Its Legendary Lumberjack to Life in Hilarious New Campaign

He’s 6’7”, charming, and carries paper towels like it’s a weapon.

Brawny’s iconic mascot is now a man of both the people and the packaging in “Summon the Strongest.”

It's the brand's latest effort, made together with independent agency Joan Creative, marking its most cohesive campaign in years.

Here, the paper towel brand introduces us to a real-life version of the "Brawny Man" (played by actor Brock Morse) as he saves a treehouse gathering and comes to help clean up the aftermath of a birthday party.

 

 

 

 

 

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The updated mascot marks a shift toward authenticity and relevance as the brand seeks to reconnect with consumers in a market where private-label products are gaining ground.

The revamped Brawny Man carries the same visual DNA — plaid shirt, beard, bulk — but now has the added challenge of feeling human and relatable.

“We saw the opportunity to bring new dimension to his visual identity — not by changing who he is, but by elevating what has always made him iconic," explained Holly Karlsson, creative director at Bulletproof, the agency that made the new brand identity.

"The result is a Brawny Man who feels heroic yet relatable, dependable, and relevant to today’s consumer."

 

 

 

 

 

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Overall, the initiative is part of a brand refresh, which updated Brawny’s identity to strike a balance between legacy and relevance. 

With more brands relying on character-driven storytelling, creative agencies are rethinking mascots as more than just marketing symbols.

Now, they also serve as tall, six-foot-seven, real-world content and engagement engines.

A Hero for Modern Messes

Two 30-second launch spots titled “Birthday” and “Treehouse” capture the Brawny Man swooping into domestic chaos with an oversized roll of backup.

In one, he walks through the wreckage of a 40th birthday party, eager to help two hungover individuals clean a confetti-laden mess.

Here, Brawny Man touts that their tissue rolls are now three-ply, making them extra durable and fitting to get the cleaning started.

In the other spot, he surveys the aftermath of a chaotic kids’ sleepover inside a treehouse, coming to the rescue as soon as a young girl summons him.

While neither of the events depicted in the spots is glamorous, both are unmistakably real — and that’s the whole point.

Beyond TV, the campaign plays heavily on social.

The Brawny Man appears in TikTok-style videos and influencer skits, even attempting Gen Z slang like “goated” and “goblin mode” before visibly recoiling.

Now, this brand marketing strategy isn’t about novelty but about presence.

With Brock Morse’s Brawny Man, the brand joins the growing list of legacy names proving that old icons still have new tricks.

Meanwhile, Hotels.com's new mascot, "Bellboy," starred in the platform's first-ever global campaign to spotlight its summer travel savings.