AURÉLIEN LECOUR
TIEXI PLANT
MASCOT
For Kieferzapfen Design - BMW China - 2018
MERCHANDISING STRATEGY
CHARACTER DESIGN
STYLEGUIDE
A state of the art ultra-modern factory in Shenyang, the BMW Tiexi plant is also a major tourist attraction. Visitors are greated by 小宝 (Xiaobao), the mascot of the factory. Which BMW wanted to somehow involve more in the plant's communication and merchandising, and to better communicate with an audience that is younger than the typical BMW buyer, and outside of the typical automotive circles.
To steer away from the usual car brand memorabillia, I opted for a more fashion conscious identity, by giving Xiaobao a new, refreshed look, and by allowing him to take central stage across the line. This new image is meant to resonate well with the tastes of asian teenagers and young adults.
An unusual direction for BMW,
catering to a much younger audience
without a strong automotive culture.
catering to a much younger audience
without a strong automotive culture.
To steer away from the usual car brand memorabillia, I opted for a more fashion conscious identity, by giving Xiaobao a new, refreshed look, and by allowing him to take central stage across the line. This new image is meant to resonate well with the tastes of asian teenagers and young adults.
The simplified drawings are either treated as a wite/orange/blue theme with pastel graphics, or as a black & white theme with boldly colored graphics.
The choice of products and their design has been carefully elaborated to appeal to the chosen demographics. The other important point was to make sure that there would be no overlap between the product line of BMW and the product line of the factory as a tourist attraction so, no car related products were used and the BMW branding is absent of all graphics.
The choice of products and their design has been carefully elaborated to appeal to the chosen demographics. The other important point was to make sure that there would be no overlap between the product line of BMW and the product line of the factory as a tourist attraction so, no car related products were used and the BMW branding is absent of all graphics.