Character.com.
Commercial Messaging & Artwork | Character.com
Character.com — "Everyone loves character clothing. Even big kids who should know better. Founded by parents, we get it. Kitting them out in the latest gear isn’t cheap. And if it’s the wrong one, cue the howls of outrage. Which is why we take care to source the styles they want to be seen in, at a price that won’t break the bank."
Character.com.
Commercial Messaging & Artwork | Character.com
Character.com — "Everyone loves character clothing. Even big kids who should know better. Founded by parents, we get it. Kitting them out in the latest gear isn’t cheap. And if it’s the wrong one, cue the howls of outrage. Which is why we take care to source the styles they want to be seen in, at a price that won’t break the bank."
The Mission
Create print and digital commercial marketing assets for Character.com, via using their brand guidelines and toolkit.
Client, Role & Challenges
The Client — Character.com, Swansea, Wales, UK, 2024
Character.com is a children's clothing brand founded by parents frustrated with the lack of affordable branded clothing for kids. The brand embraces its "Wear A Smile" ethos, aiming to bring joy and fun through character-branded clothing for toddlers, kids, and teenagers without breaking the bank.
Project Goals & Challenges
I proudly joined Character.com as a freelance designer in the third quarter of 2024. In this role, I tackled the challenge of creating engaging and effective marketing materials that captures attention while differentiating the brand from competitors and maintaining a balance between creativity and the business's core values.
The Team — Ben Ballantyne, Creative Designer | Emma Wilkins, Brand Manager
I collaborated with the Character.com in-house team led by Emma Wilkins, focusing on creating assets such as UX icons, landlord flyers, brand toolkits and store signage, specifically designed for print and digital commercial use.
Character Brand Toolkits - Sonic 2024
Art Direction
Gotta go fast! This asset pack deviates from the conventions of previous packs by incorporating a range of visual themes and colours inspired by the 8-bit pixel levels and characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog video games.
I focused on capturing the essence of the game, including its fast-paced gameplay and diverse levels, influencing the asset pack's fun and quirky 8-bit visual style. This brand toolkit promotes a lineup of Sonic-branded clothing and aligns with the cinematic release of the "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" movie.
Character - Store Requirements Flyer
Brand Flyer
I created a flyer for prospective retail unit landlords using the Character.com brand assets. The flyer should effectively communicate Character.com's requirements for new retail locations and align with their entry into the physical retail sector.
Visual Imagery
To effectively represent the brand's essence professionally, it features logos, graphic elements, retail store imagery, and typography that align with Character.com's branding.
Impact & Results
"He worked for us during a pivotal period when we refined our brand and developed new artwork to align with our existing brand guidelines."
Emma Wilkins, Brand Manager Director, Character.com
"Having worked with Ben on several projects, I can confidently say that he is both professional and friendly. He worked for us during a pivotal period when we refined our brand and developed new artwork to align with our existing brand guidelines. One of Ben’s strongest qualities is his attentiveness to feedback; he consistently puts in the effort to understand our ideas and bring them to life, executing his projects to a high standard."
The Results
I developed print and digital point-of-sale artwork designed to engage children, teenagers, and parents effectively, the primary target demographics for Character.com. This strategy led to a uniform brand presentation across social media platforms and physical stores in the UK, enhancing audience engagement and allowing Character.com to differentiate from other children's clothing store competitors.
