Mascot developing for a 21vek.by

21vek is one of the leading online shopping platforms, offering a wide assortment of products ranging from home goods and electronics to fashion and lifestyle items. In a market where digital retailers compete on convenience and price, 21vek aimed to stand out by building a deeper emotional connection with its customers. To achieve this, the company sought to create a long-term brand asset: a unique mascot that would not only represent 21vek across all channels but also become a recognizable and beloved symbol of the brand itself.

Проблема

Online retail is a highly competitive and fast-moving category where most players communicate through purely transactional messages: discounts, delivery speed, and product variety. While effective in the short term, this approach lacks the emotional depth needed to build loyalty and lasting relationships. 21vek faced the challenge of making its brand feel personal and relatable. They needed more than just another ad campaign—they needed a living, breathing brand ambassador. This mascot had to embody the brand’s values, work seamlessly across digital and physical touchpoints, and remain relevant over time. The goal was to create a mascot that: • Makes the brand emotionally engaging and instantly recognizable. • Works across all marketing channels, from billboards to social media. • Serves as a flexible creative asset, reducing future marketing production costs. • Strengthens recognition of other key brand elements, such as the color palette and tone of voice. This required a strategic approach to design, storytelling, and implementation, ensuring that the mascot would become a sustainable part of 21vek’s brand identity.

Решение

The search for the perfect mascot was broad—we explored humans, animals, robots, and abstract figures. But none truly captured the essence of 21vek. Then came the breakthrough: the idea of a shopper tote bag, something simple, universal, and deeply connected to the act of shopping. This evolved into Shopper — a friendly, curious tote bag with big eyes and a big heart. Shopper represents the idea of carrying a whole world inside, just like 21vek itself. Playful and approachable, he embodies the joy and excitement of discovering something new. Shopper was introduced through a teaser campaign timed with an art exhibition, where he debuted as “the guy worth a million,” literally positioned as the star of the show. This launch built intrigue and gave Shopper a unique cultural moment to step into the spotlight. From there, Shopper became the centerpiece of 21vek’s communication: • Leading seasonal campaigns and holiday promos. • Appearing on billboards and outdoor ads across the city. • Brought to life in digital formats, including animated stickers and social media content. • Produced as physical tote bags, thousands of which sold out quickly, further spreading brand visibility in everyday life. This holistic approach ensured that Shopper wasn’t just a character, but a living part of the brand, bridging the gap between company and consumer.

Результаты

The introduction of Shopper brought significant results, both qualitative and quantitative: 30% increase in brand recognition in outdoor advertising, 60% reduction in marketing budget spent on creative development., strengthened recognition of other brand assets, especially the color palette.