Creating Characters
Where do I even begin?
So you want to create a new mascot to represent your brand. There’s a lot of elements to consider ranging from type of character to what manufacturer to use. Let’s start at how you want to represent your brand.
When developing a new mascot, the number one question is: what does this character need to look like to represent my brand? The easy decisions are for businesses like a doggie daycare choosing a dog or a construction company to choosing an anthropomorphic hammer to create that visual connection between the character and the brand. If you have a business that doesn’t have an obvious visual connection to a character, say a hospital, non-profit, or museum, that’s when things get a little tricky… but also fun and creative. You can choose almost any character you can dream of and find ways to stylize it to reflect your brand like giving them a lab coat, coordinate colors to match the branding, or even work your logo into the design.
Okay I have a character design in mind, now what?
Let’s discuss how a thought out backstory makes your mascot unique.
I’m adamant that creating a backstory for a character is the best way to develop their personality. Since you’re creating a brand new character, this is the perfect time to create that backstory. A backstory gives your character a “why” they’re with your brand and gives them a history of how the behave. Consider some of these questions when developing a backstory:
Why does this character want to associate with your brand? Why does your brand want to associate with them?
Did they find your brand or did your brand find them?
Are they there to purely to promote your brand or are they actively “working” within you company?
Does their background set up any personality quirks or behaviors seen in the performance? Do these align with your brand?
Do they wear any clothes or props to better associate with your brand?
How do they add value to your brand?
Cool, how do I get the costume made?
There’s a lot to consider when finding the right manufacturer. Pricing, quantity, design capabilities, and turnaround time are all major factors to consider.
There are dozens of great manufacturers out there and even more options if you’re on a tight budget. The first consideration to narrow down possible manufacturers is how often you will use your mascot. The more you plan on using it, the higher quality manufacturer you’ll want to use. Of course, that also most likely means a higher price, but its worth it. If you plan on only using your mascot a few times a year, you can get away with a cheaper manufacturer, but be weary of how cheaper design elements will effect the costume. These manufacturers will also have the most customizable design capabilities at their disposal. Some manufacturers have similarities across all of the costumes they produce, most noticeable with the head construction like material and eye designs. As for turnaround times, manufacturers range in staff size so ones that have more staff typically have quicker turnarounds but may stick to their preferred materials and manufacturing process.
Ready to
commit to a manufacturer?
Finding the right manufacturer is daunting, but that’s where I can help. Let’s play Manufacturer Matchmaker.
For starters, we will go over the topics mentioned above as a base point. I have contacts with several manufacturers and generally know their strengths and weaknesses, design capabilities, staff sizes, price ranges, etc. From there, I can direct you to the manufacturer’s galleries showcasing their past work to help you visualize your end products and see if there are specific things you do / don’t like about their design tendencies. After we figure out who you want to craft your mascot, I can help you prepare your pitch to them and connect you with my contacts.
Wait, why not work directly with the manufacturer?
Full transparency - I’m not offering anything that the manufacturers don’t offer. Think of me more like SAT Test Prep.
Admittedly, I know more about this industry than most sane person should. I want to make sure you and your manufacturer consider everything in the design process. If you approach a manufacturer without a fleshed out plan, they may be tempted to cut some corners or draw lines in the sand over certain criteria and you wind up with a mascot representing your brand you aren’t satisfied with. The more prepared you are before talking to a manufacturer, the easier they’ll be to work with because they will be able to visualize your vision from the start and eliminate back-and-forth conversations delaying the production time.
Okay, what else should I consider for my new character?
The devil is in the details, and if you don’t think about them before you get the costume made, it’s hard to right the wrongs.
Feeling overwhelmed over starting a mascot program?
Consider the following
Here’s some considerations when it comes to costume design you don’t want to overlook:
Where do you plan on storing the costume? How much space can you let it take up?
How easy will it be to transport? If it’s a bulky costume, do you have access to a vehicle it can fit in?
How do you plan on cleaning the costume? Can you comply with the manufacturer’s instructions?
Will you want your performer to be able to get dressed by themselves, or will they need help?
How mobile do you want your character to be?
How much dexterity do you want your performer’s hands to have? (Mittens, vs. gloves, number of fingers, grippy palms)
How tall do you want your mascot to be? How tall of a performer do you need?
How adjustable do you want the helmet to be? (Can add padding to fit smaller heads, but not the other way around)
What clothes and accessories do you want your character to have? Do you need to order them from the manufacturer?
If planning to use against any sort of green screen, how will the colors affect ease of editing?
Do you want interactive elements of the costume? (removable hat / body parts, googly eyes, squeakers, etc.)
What visual elements are you willing to sacrifice to make the costume more performer friendly?
Ready to bring a new character into this world?
Connect with us and see how we can help you bring your mascot to life.