Pedalheads
I was tasked with creating a new suite of brand characters and I wanted a larger, more diverse cast with some crazy fun additions.
Role
Creative DIrector
Visual Designer
Animator
Illustrator
Character Designer
Agency
In-House
Client
Pedalheads
Date
March 2019-22
THE PROBLEM
When Pedalheads was rebranded by Rethink they gained a great new logo but lost one element that their brand has always had; kid characters that represent their campers. They wanted that back but the original two kids were both blond and white which made sense at the start since they were based on the founder’s children but no longer represented their clients.
THE SOLUTION
I needed to create a troupe of characters that were diverse in age, ethnicity, and gender. The style needs to match with their new brand and also be useable by future creatives when making new content. It also needs to please the company’s leadership which can be tricky when so many of them have kids of their own that they may compare the designs to.
Character Designs
All the characters were developed, illustrated, and animated by me. I created a flat and bright style to pair with Pedalheads’ simplistic logo and made sure that they were rigged in a way that would bend and animate with lots of fun bounce. I even named the characters and created personality types that reflected some of the children that I saw at the camps. I also created one creature character for each camp variant to help them stand out from their competition and make for more playful ads.
Rather not read? Watch this video that summarizes the character design process and rationales in three and a half minutes. As a bonus, you’ll see how I can edit video and hear my voice!
How awful is it hearing your own voice over and over again during the edits? Very.
Haru is the younger one and has tons of energy and enthusiasm. When naming her I chose an Asian name that has some overlay between a few countries so she was more of a blanket representation as opposed to a specific culture. Her style is cute and bouncy to match her personality!
Mateo is a responsible and happy kid with confident riding skills. He’s happy to show Haru a new skill or go for a road ride. He represents the South American and Spanish kids. His name has Latin roots but is also commonplace in other cultures. His style is casual and outdoorsy!
Nibnut is a small but vivid creature based on an acorn and a helicopter seed. Since the camp is all outdoors they needed to be rooted around nature. They buzz around, pushing bikers along as they learn to balance and making sure the roads are clear to cross. They’re small but spunky!
Wyatt is the youngest character in the suite and he’s a bit shy. He’s named after the founder’s son and represents white kids. He can show how first time swimmers might be timid about the water but, with a bit of encouragement, their enthusiasm can grow!
Aliyah is a strong swimmer and she’s always ready to challenge herself. She’s the oldest kid in the group and she’s there to show how Pedalheads can advance even older kids’ swim skills. Her name is common in some black communities. Her style is function over form.
Ogo is a dog-like sea monster that’s based on an axolotl and salamander. They’re excited about the water and paddle along making bubbles and splashes. Ogo can be used to show that jumping in the pool is fun or that the scary thing lurking in the waves isn’t so bad after all.
Nisha is young but very competitive. She’ll run herself ragged to win and picks herself up after getting knocked down. She might be a sore loser. She represents the Middle Eastern or South Asian kids. Her style is sporty and durable!
Peter is a chubbier kid who’s a bit clumsy. He might not be the top player but he’s always happy to be part of the team. His name is traditionally white to represent third generation Asian Canadians. His style is comfy and practical!
Sproing is as bouncy as it gets. They’re down to dunk a ball, jump through and obstacle course, or help small kids reach tall places. They’re a living pom pom that’s always cheering on the team and encouraging kids to try new things.
Emile is a small but capable kid that loves the outdoors. He listens well and loves to bike and climb trees. He has a common Québécois name to represent the French Canadian kids. His style is comfy and layered since the weather can change!
Tilly is named after the founder’s daughter. She’s a wild-child that loves bike trails and rocky roads. She’s daring to the point of trouble sometimes but that rambunctious attitude makes her a great motivator. Her style is durable!
Petallump is a slow-paced nature lover. Their jurassic size might be intimidating but they’re only interested in stopping to smell the roses. Their long legs let them keep up with trail riders and their height lets them pick kids up to the trees.
The instructors were made to pair with the kids in any teaching materials to show games or camp standards. They hire teens and adults so they needed to represent a few age ranges. There’s half girls and half boys with two being gender more gender neutral. It’s a diverse cast that can be added to as needed!
Results
The characters were immediately put to use in everything from social content to the interior design of their new pool. They fit perfectly with the brand and people were commenting both online and within the company about their favourite characters. These kids and creatures added so much potential to their in-person game creation and manuals for camp leaders plus much more. There’s lots of room to grow the set of characters to include a baby or a disabled child once they start offering more options in their camps, too.
Learning Outcomes
This project was a huge undertaking for one person. I had no other creatives on the team to bounce ideas off of or help while I juggled all the other responsibilities I had as an in-house designer. It took a lot longer than I was hoping for and if I did it again I would ask for some temporary freelance help for things like newsletter updates, content creation, and other simple things that interrupted the process so we could get the characters ready sooner. There were some booklets and manuals that I had wanted to include the characters in but the deadlines didn’t match up. I feel like that was a missed opportunity that could have been avoided by more confident delegation skills on my part.