MASCOT DEVELOPMENT
Tools Used: iPad Pro with ProcreateApp, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign
SEA Airport was looking to take a deep dive into the fuzzy side of external marketing with the development of their own mascot. Together we set out to find a design that would be calming and fun to passengers and a tool for the external marketing department. The journey of creating a mascot begins with understanding a brand's core values and mission. It's about translating these elements into a character that can visually and emotionally connect with their audience.
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I took a rough client list of seven animal ideas and gave them an anamorphic reimagining with classic flight goggles and aviation scarf. The organization took those samples back to their employees to narrow down the creative direction with internal polling.​​​​​​​​​​
Once the dust settled the sea otter won the day with its cute, friendly nature and its name aligning with the airports recent brand change to "SEA Airport", formerly SEA-TAC International Airport, and the process began to define the look and feel of the new team member.
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I then began developing the look and feel of the 2D SEA Otter so that the organization could use the spirit, tone and energy of the character we hoped to develop.
Very quickly we settled on a look with the proper proportions to be both appealing in 2D but a realistic form for a physical performer. We knew we needed high visibility for our performer so we chose to have large viewing area within the otters nose.
Looking at fabric samples we muted the brown tones and pushed forward with a chunky look that inspired hugs and snuggling. The tail length became a concern with the high volume of escalators and rolling luggage at the airport - so we went with a more rigid tail look.
Head molding and sculpting was very straightforward due to the high volume of art we had created of our otter. The internal structure of the head was mounted via a helmet and allows for a safe and comfortable fitting for a variety of performers.
From design submission to the production team over at Olympus Group to the costume received was about 8 weeks. I then meet with the marketing team to discuss physical limitations of the suit along with some poses and gestures we wanted to differentiate our mascot from other organizations.
I then got to go back and develop a name, logo and style guide for JETT THE SEA OTTER as well as create some vector character elements for future billboards and promo items. An amazing adventure and one of the most incredible projects I've ever gotten to work on.
Read and watch more about JETT's big day at the Port of Seattles website and YouTube channel.