Introduction

Marselo is a white ball mascot from the Chilean lottery Kino 5, which has become a popular subject of ironic memes among Spanish-speaking internet users since late 2019.

Background

The character of Marselo, a white anthropomorphic Powerball, has been associated with Kino 5, a lottery launched by Lotería de Concepción in May 2005. Initially appearing in TV commercials and promotional materials, Marselo captured the attention of internet users through image macros captioned "Marselo," leading to a wider range of memes and video edits that envisioned the character in a cinematic universe, often linking it to the musician Marshmello and the animated film Killer Bean.

Meme History

Kino 5 was launched in May 2005, introducing Marselo as its mascot. The character was depicted as a white anthropomorphic Powerball carrying the number 5 on its back. Initial promotional art featured Marselo greeting viewers, and was later adapted by other betting sites. The first known meme featuring Marselo appeared as an image macro on October 23, 2019, created by an unknown user, which sparked the character's rise in popularity.

Internet Reaction

Marselo memes gained traction starting October 23, 2019, with the first derivative meme posted by Instagram account kirbygang.mp3, amassing over 3,700 likes. By late October, user eplabox shared a video edit featuring the song "Alone" by Marshmello, which further associated the musician with the meme. As November approached, Marselo became a staple in Spanish-speaking meme culture, with numerous image macros depicting the character as part of a fictional film series circulating across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The character's connection to the name Marshmello led to users sharing Marselo memes in response to tweets from the artist. A YouTube video by DoctorDavy on December 23, 2019, documented the meme's spread.