Oregon’s Inflatable Duck Adds Viral Spark To Dante Moore Heisman Campaign In Tokyo

The Oregon Ducks made their way from Eugene all the way to Tokyo, Japan, and are making a big splash with their arrival overseas.

Between the display of the inflatable Duck mascot, to the numerous billboards of quarterback Dante Moore and the creative social media videos of the team’s trip, Oregon is utilizing its showcase in Japan as a marketing advantage.

Oregon Ducks Get Creative With Dante Moore’s Heisman Trophy Campaign

oregon ducks dante moore heisman trophy bo nix joey harrington quarterback dakorien mascot tokyo jeremiah mclcclellan — Oregon quarterback Dante Moore celebrates after a reception during a youth football camp at Marist Catholic High School on June 20, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks’ trip isn’t just an opportunity to extend the program’s reach outside of the United States, but it’s also an opportunity for the program to kick off Moore’s Heisman Trophy campaign in a bold and innovative way.

Upon the team’s arrival in Japan, billboards that state, “Yes, there’s Moore,” were pictured across the streets of Tokyo. The official Oregon football account has spent the week building up to the trip as a chance to post similar graphics with Moore’s name and picture.

On June 26, Oregon football posted a video of the team in Tokyo, including wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan and tight end Jamari Johnson, hyping up Moore as he sees his billboards overseas.

“They just replaced all of the billboards with Dante Moore,” Dakorien Moore said in the video, which was posted on X. “Just placed them everywhere. Like, this is crazy. I know this guy. And we’re in Tokyo.”

It’s not the first time that an Oregon quarterback has received a massive billboard to promote their Heisman campaign. Former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington received a 10-story billboard in New York to kickstart his 2001 campaign. Most recently, quarterback Bo Nix got a 151-foot by 90-foot billboard in Midtown Manhattan that said: “bodacious.”

Oregon’s only Heisman Trophy winner remains Marcus Mariota in 2014, although Nix was a finalist in 2023. The difference between Moore’s Oregon billboard and Nix and Harrington’s is that Oregon traveled across the globe this time.

Oregon Ducks Inflatable Mascot Returns

Moore wasn’t the only Oregon icon to make waves in Tokyo. On June 26, the inflatable ‘Big Duck’ returned after speculation.

Oregon made a big entrance into the Big Ten Conference in 2024 when an inflatable Duck mascot floated along the White River in Indianapolis outside of the NCAA Headquarters. This time, the ‘Big Duck’ appeared alongside Godzilla, with the landmark being Tokyo’s Shinjuku Toho Building.

The Ducks’ X account also posted a video on June 26 of the Duck mascot marching down the streets of Tokyo, taking selfies with fans before dramatic music played and the ‘Big Duck’ was pictured with Godzilla. The video showed the seven digital out-of-home screens in Shibuya Crossing that featured the Moore billboards.

Gonna be a monster season.#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/nwKaKyX8wS
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) June 26, 2026

How Oregon’s Tokyo Showcase Changes Recruiting, Marketing

oregon ducks dante moore mascot dan lanning nil big ten college football — Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore posts an Instagram story with the inflatable Duck mascot and Godzilla in Tokyo, Japan | @dantemoore via Instagram

Wieden + Kennedy tells Oregon Ducks on SI that the “Yes, There’s Moore,” work is a partnership between the global creative agency with the University of Oregon.

It could just be the start of the newest level of innovation stemming from the Oregon athletics brand, with the seven athletes, along with Oregon coach Dan Lanning, beginning their journey at the “Tokyo Oregon football Showcase” ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Lanning said in a Big Ten Network feature that it adds to the “innovative” attraction of the program and that they’re “looking at things that are different and maybe haven’t been tackled before,” with football being a growing sport around the world.

The Ducks’ unique trip to Tokyo sends a strong message to recruiting targets: not only does Oregon offer an opportunity to play on the Division I big stage and development into an NFL prospect, but the program provides one-of-a-kind opportunities to travel the world and connect with global audiences.

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