Look for the Octopus

Barrett Hofherr Launches Bachan's National Brand Campaign, ‘Look for the Octopus’
The brand is making its largest paid media investment to date to support the campaign aimed at driving national brand awareness with its mascot, Octo, front and center.

Bachan's, the original Japanese Barbecue Sauce brand known for its bold flavors and cult following, is rolling out the biggest campaign in its history with "Look for the Octopus," a national effort developed with Barrett Hofherr, the brand's newly appointed creative partner. The campaign launches March 16 and runs through the end of 2026, marking both Bachan's first-ever national brand campaign and its largest media investment to date.
At the center of it all is Octo, the red octopus mascot that has lived on every bottle of Bachan's since the brand's launch in 2019. Many fans have used the octopus to find Bachan’s sauces on crowded store shelves. The campaign leans into that instinct, turning the beloved icon into a character that truly embodies the brand.

The work is anchored by two hero spots, "Choose Wisely" and "Kiddie Pool," which blend humor and warmth to make the brand, much like its mascot, impossible to miss. Together with a full suite of social video, static creative, email, and organic content, the campaign runs across streaming TV, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok. The media support is a mix built for broad reach and cultural relevance, particularly among modern food lovers.

“‘Look for the Octopus’ is more than a campaign, it’s an open invitation,” said Justin Gill, Founder and CEO of Bachan’s. “Octo embodies the spirit of Bachan’s – fun, friendly, and deeply rooted in family and togetherness. Consumers love our Octo, and we believe that as a part of this campaign, Octo will become iconic in culture like brand mascots that I grew up with, such as the Kool-Aid Man and Tony the Tiger.”

The creative strategy is rooted in the concept of "barbecue without boundaries," where Bachan’s represents everything endearing about barbecue (bold flavors, an unfiltered edge, the ability to bring people together) without any of the gatekeeping. It's approachable rather than intimidating, and it welcomes everyone to the table, creating a natural extension of the brand's multi-generational Japanese American heritage.

More importantly, through bold visual recognition, the campaign drives home a comforting promise: If you see the octopus, you’ve found Bachan’s.

“Amazing product. Amazing people. Amazing potential. It’s not often you get all three, but we felt that from day one with Bachan’s” said Jamie Barrett, Chief Creative Officer. “Excited to be on this rocket ship journey piloted by a red octopus, can’t wait to see where it goes.”

Bachan is a Japanese term of endearment for "grandma" or "granny," and brand founder and CEO Justin Gill's bachan means business. Gill learned his family's authentic Japanese barbecue sauce recipe from his grandmother, Judy Yokoyama, who grew up in Sebastopol, CA and passed down a tradition rooted in family, food, and togetherness. What started as a beloved family recipe is made with high-quality, non-GMO ingredients.

The campaign represents a significant new chapter for Bachan's, which was recently acquired by The Marzetti Company and has been on a rapid growth trajectory. Barrett Hofherr was selected as the brand's creative partner in November 2025 to help fuel that next phase — and "Look for the Octopus" is the first major work to come out of the partnership. It's a bet on the power of a distinctive, ownable brand asset to cut through in a category where shelf standout matters more than ever.