Mascot mania: Introducing Judy Free – The Global Face of Travel Retail

INTERNATIONAL. What if duty free and travel retail was to have a single ‘face’? That’s the intriguing thought The Moodie Davitt Report team debated after noting the huge and rising popularity of mascot culture around the world and particularly in Asia, where in Japan alone there are over 3,000 mascots or Yuru-chara listed in the Gotōchi-chara Catalogue online database.

Could we create a character that would appeal to diverse cultures, nationalities and ages and be viewed as a trustworthy, identifiable and fun figurehead for travel shopping, from landside to airside, online to inflight?

Taking that premise, we tasked some of the best young designers from around the world to come up with a mascot for duty free & travel retail as part of a global design competition. We gave the contestants an important helping hand, decreeing that the mascot should be young and female. We even gave her a name, Judy Free.

We received a huge number of entries from all around the globe, each detailing their vision of a character that would be instantly recognisable in airports, airlines and travel retail stores internationally.

And the winner? We are delighted to introduce you to Judy Free, as interpreted by winning designer Jansen Yang. Jansen is a brilliantly talented young designer from Bandung, Indonesia, whose entry was chosen by our internal judging team as having perfectly encapsulated the character, delivered exactly to brief.

 

In his pitch Jansen described Judy as a “Retro flight-lover who enjoys wearing unique colours and fashion choices. She is a little bit eccentric but loves to shop.” What travel retail executive would not concur with that sentiment?

Jansen won a substantial cash prize offered by The Moodie Davitt Report, which now owns and operates all image rights to Judy Free.

Should duty free and travel retail have its own mascot? Or multiple mascots? Could Judy Free be the face of your retail offer? Let us know your thoughts at: martin@moodiedavittreport.com or simply note your feedback via the Disqus platform below this story.

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