Hi-Chew’s new mascot, Chewbie, is a puffy, lovable lesson in branding

Almost 50 years after it was first created, the Japanese candy brand Hi-Chew just introduced a new mascot—and it’s just as chewy-looking and lovable as the real, sweet-tooth-curing thing. Chewbie is a genderless, blob-like creature that looks like something akin to a much cuter Michelin Man. It has puffy white arms, a goofy smile, bright blue sneakers, and, according to his creators, “perpetually sticky fingers.” Hi-Chew quietly debuted Chewbie late last month, but is more officially...