Mascot Design Logo FIS Ski World Championship 2003 St. Moritz

Designing “Smoony” — Official Mascot of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2003 in St. Moritz

Download Case Study (PDF)
http://marsdenillustration.com/PDF/casestudy-Smoony-marsden.pdf

In 2002, I was commissioned by the organizing committee of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz to create the official mascot for the 2003 event — one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of alpine skiing.

This project marked a significant step forward in my career as an illustrator, introducing me to the field of mascot and character design at the highest level of international sports branding.

A Unique Creative Brief

Before I joined the project, the organizers had conducted a regional drawing competition among schoolchildren in the Engadin. The winning entry, created by a local student, was a charming and poetic character that combined the sun and moon — a symbol of energy, balance, and natural cycles.

My task was to translate this rough concept into a professional mascot suitable for wide-scale deployment across all visual and promotional materials. The resulting character, named Smoony (a portmanteau of “Sun” and “Moon”), was designed to express warmth, optimism, and high-altitude vitality. It also needed to remain instantly recognizable across a wide range of applications — from large-scale banners to miniature keychains.

From Sketch to Mascot

Working closely with the branding, event production, and licensing teams, I developed a complete character package that included:

Finalized full-color artwork and orthographic views (front, side, back)
Dynamic action poses for use on posters and signage
Artwork prepared for animation and broadcast
Licensing-ready files for merchandise: plush figures, pins, apparel, keychains
A simplified version for small-scale production and embroidery

Smoony was widely used throughout the Championships: in television coverage, spectator areas, printed materials, and merchandising. A plastic keychain figure was produced using my drawings as the reference.

Radio Interview (in Swiss German)

Swiss Radio DRS3 (now SRF3) interviewed me about mascot design in general and my approach as a mascot designer

You can listen to the original interview here:

YouTube link:

Radiointerview mit Ian David Marsden – Schweizer Maskottchen-Designer im Gespräch auf SRF3

Legacy and Professional Impact

This commission opened doors to future work in sports branding, institutional mascots, and licensed character design — areas I continue to work in today. It also highlighted the value of integrating public participation into professional creative workflows. The fact that the mascot’s core idea came from a child’s drawing gave Smoony authenticity and regional charm, while the professional development ensured consistency and clarity across all platforms.