Character adaptation / Christmas 2025
CHEEKY.
Turning an official mascot into a character built to move between screens, spaces and something children could take home.
See the translation
- 01Official mascot
- 02Collectible form
- 033D pose system
- 04Campaign world
- 05Real life
01 / the brief
Not a redesign. A translation.
Cheeky was already The Square's official mascot. The challenge was to preserve the face families recognised while translating him into a softer, plush-ready form that could also perform as a flexible digital character.
02 / translating the form
Built to feel familiar — and huggable.
Rounded volumes, a simpler silhouette and carefully preserved face cues turned the existing mascot into a form that could work both as a collectible toy and as an expressive 3D asset.
Colour direction
From brand blue to Christmas red.
The colour exploration kept Cheeky connected to The Square, while the approved red version placed him naturally inside the Christmas 2025 campaign world.
03 / a flexible character system
One mascot. More ways to behave.
A character becomes useful when personality can change without identity changing. The 3D system gave Cheeky enough range for invitations, information, movement and campaign moments.
04 / campaign world
A mascot that could hold the whole season together.
Cheeky moved beyond a single render and became a repeatable visual language across campaign scenes, the Christmas website and the physical visitor experience.
05 / real life
From official mascot to annual collectible.
The approved 3D translation became a physical plush for The Square's Christmas 2025 experience. More importantly, it created a repeatable framework: Cheeky can return in future editions while remaining unmistakably the same official mascot.
a character people can actually keep ♡
Outcome / what the translation unlocked
One identity. A growing character world.
- The official mascot's recognisable identity was preserved
- A softer 3D form was developed for plush production
- A flexible pose system supported campaign communication
- Digital, environmental and physical applications worked together
- The character can evolve into a new collectible edition each year
Created at Nebula Creative for The Square, Tallaght. Character adaptation, concept development, 3D modelling and selected campaign visuals by Bia Busnello. The original Cheeky mascot identity belongs to The Square. Wider campaign development, physical production and installation were delivered collaboratively with the Nebula Creative team and production partners.
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Blanchardstown Centre / Christmas 2022