Aisha Rain

Case study · Smartfix

Colin the Chameleon, the Smartfix mascot

Meet Colin: a mascot that became a brand system

Smartfix already had a chameleon mascot. The opportunity was turning him into a recognisable character with a clear story, visual rules and enough flexibility to work across the whole customer experience.

Client
Smartfix
Work
Character story, drawing rules, pose library, logo, activities, merchandise
Years
2024–2026

Who Colin is

Every good mascot needs a reason to exist. Colin's comes straight from the business: a chameleon adapts to his surroundings, and Smartfix brings together the trades a home needs.

Hi, I'm Colin the Chameleon!

Colin waving hello

Colin represents adaptability, reliability and problem solving. Just like a chameleon adjusts to its surroundings, Smartfix brings together the essential trades that power, protect and maintain homes across Perth.

He reflects the friendly approach and the skill of the licensed electricians and air conditioning technicians behind him. He adds personality to the brand while reminding homeowners that their home's most important systems are in trusted hands.

Across Perth, Colin stands for reliable service, quality workmanship and a team that shows up ready to get the job done properly.

The storyFrom the Colin page of the Smartfix brand book.

Drawing Colin

Before Colin could appear everywhere, he needed to look the same everywhere: his head from every angle, a clean line art master and a fixed set of colours.

Line sketches of Colin's head: front, both sides, mid-blink and from behind
Colin in full colour from the left side, front, right side and back, on a grid
Full bodySide, front, side and back, drawn to the same grid so his proportions never drift.
Colin in black line art, standing with his arms crossed
Line artThe monochrome master, drawn in Adobe Illustrator, that every pose is built from.
  • #F68833
  • #E66D25
  • #CA6429
  • #DD2728
  • #010101
  • #0F1928

ColourColin's oranges are taken straight from the Smartfix palette and sit on Smartfix navy, so he always matches the brand around him.

One character, many poses

With the drawing rules set, the library could grow around real business needs, from the everyday to the seasonal, without reinventing Colin each time.

  1. Colin pose: On the job01On the job
  2. Colin pose: Hands on hips02Hands on hips
  3. Colin pose: Thumbs up03Thumbs up
  4. Colin pose: Hello04Hello
  5. Colin pose: On the phone05On the phone
  6. Colin pose: On the lookout06On the lookout
  7. Colin pose: Big day07Big day
  8. Colin pose: Summer08Summer
  9. Colin pose: Christmas09Christmas
  10. Colin pose: Easter10Easter
  11. Colin pose: Halloween11Halloween
  12. Colin pose: Birthday12Birthday
  13. Colin pose: Footy13Footy
  14. Colin pose: Cricket14Cricket
  15. Colin pose: Golf15Golf

Pose libraryFifteen poses: on the tools, on the phone, and ready for every season.

  • Colin sticker holding an Australian flag
  • Colin sticker wearing a headset
  • Round Christmas sticker of Colin dressed as Santa
  • Colin sticker holding a rainbow Pride flag

Every pose also became a die-cut sticker for Microsoft Teams and Instagram, plus a few made just for chat: Australia Day, Pride and the headset for the office team.

Colin on the brand

Colin isn't a separate mascot sitting beside the logo. He lives on it, attached to the S in Smartfix, and he goes wherever the team goes.

Colin wrapped around the Smartfix S, outlined version
Colin wrapped around the Smartfix S
Colin peeking over the Smartfix S, outlined version
Colin peeking over the Smartfix S
The Smartfix Multi-trade and Services logo, with Colin attached to the S

Logo placementColin lives on the logo, attached to the S in Smartfix, and also works on his own with the S as the icon.

The back of a Smartfix uniform with Colin and the logo
A Smartfix van carrying the Colin logo

Colin off the page

Colin turned up in kids' activities and as a plush toy out in the real world, places where a logo alone would have far less personality.

Merry Christmas colouring sheet with Colin
Colin on the Job colouring sheet
Maze one: can you help Colin find the fastest route to the customer?
Maze two: can you help Colin find the fastest route to the customer?

Activity sheetsColouring sheets and mazes were a way to explore what makes a mascot memorable, and to open doors for Smartfix to do community work and engage with local families later on.

The plush

I worked with an overseas manufacturer to bring Colin to life as a soft toy. It took plenty of samples and many rounds of feedback before we landed on the right plush. The aim was a differentiator: something a tradesperson can leave behind for the kids or the family pet, with a QR code on his belly that leads back to the Smartfix website.

The Colin plush toy resting on a tree stump outside a home
A Smartfix technician at work with the Colin plush hanging nearby
The Colin plush held up next to a French bulldog

What changed

From mascot to brand asset

Colin gave Smartfix something its logo couldn't do on its own: a character people could recognise, interact with and remember.

With a defined story, drawing rules and a personality written down, new poses and ideas could be developed against an established reference, and briefed to other illustrators and suppliers, without losing what made him recognisable.

Brand and print Website and search

Next step

Want a brand people remember?

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