The arguments in defense of Character No. 2
Firstly, the other brand was in a different territory, with which Arzinger's business had no intersection. Therefore, the art director saw no conflict here.
Secondly, the mascots were completely different. The other brand had a faceless creature without eyes and a face. Arzik, on the other hand, had a face and vivid emotions.
Thirdly, the shape and color were different. It was the color of the company and the company's letter A. The other brand had different materials, colors, and shapes.
Taking all these points into account, the art director was ready to defend Character No. 2. In his opinion, it had nothing in common with the character of another brand except that both creatures were fluffy. Therefore, he convinced the marketing team to keep it, give it a chance to participate in the selection and discussion of all options, and allow the CEO of the company to see this option as well.
Stage 2: The next step was the refinement of the character with different emotions, poses, and situations. After a call with the marketing team, the art director returned with a list of possible emotional manifestations and situations:
Angry
Festive
Triumphant, victorious
Sad
Joyful
Playful
Scared
Suspicious
Neutral, poker face
Tired
In anticipation
Surprised
Skeptical
To this list, the client proposed adding Arzik engaging in sports:
Running
Cycling
Playing volleyball
The art director also suggested that to enhance certain emotions, additional attributes could be used for the character. For example, a festive hat for festive occasions or a pedestal for the triumphant. In the process of working on Arzik's emotions, it also became clear that the emotions "suspicious" and "skeptical" looked very similar and could be used for communicating both emotions. Instead, the art director added another emotion – "sleepy."