Braun Büffel: Leben

Braun Büffel commissioned a new brand mascot for its 2022 collection. The goal was a character that could outlive a single campaign and work as a long-term asset across retail, digital and motion.

Leben was designed as a flexible visual system rather than a one-off character, so it can move through different stories and environments while staying recognisably the same.

Design a mascot that is:

• Distinctive, yet adaptable across campaigns
• Scalable across video, retail and physical installations
• Simple enough to recognise, with room for rich materials
• Able to take on different personas without losing its identity

The character was built modularly, so parts could be iterated and recombined quickly.

Organic form language

Horn variations follow one logic: rounded forms that flow into the head, keeping the silhouette coherent.

Works in every medium

The design translates to animation, retail assets and physical outputs such as pins and 3D installations.

Clean silhouette, rich material

A simple geometric base with balloon-like material, balancing clarity with surface detail.

Development focused on material quality and the environments around Leben. Abstract spaces with smooth surfaces, curves and minimal geometry complement its reflective, balloon-like skin and show off how light plays across it.

3D prototypes and render tests explored how the character reacts to different surfaces, lighting and compositions, balancing simplicity with material richness so Leben always stays the focal point.

In 2023 Leben returned for Braun Büffel’s first store at Changi Airport, carrying the brand’s spirit of travel and exploration.

The film follows Leben arriving in new destinations in one continuous movement: a looping journey across global cities, with transitions anchored by product-focused spaces. A wide-angle look and a vivid palette contrast gallery spaces with airport environments.

The character was also streamlined for clarity and for physical production, including in-store 3D installations.

For Christmas 2024, Leben moved through festive scenes, from winter landscapes to retail interiors. The direction became more expressive, with colour-shifting, psychedelic patterns adding a sense of magic.

The campaign introduced a second character, and brought back an earlier Christmas tree design to keep continuity across seasons.

Across three years of campaigns, Leben worked as a scalable system rather than a fixed design: the same identity, adapted to new environments, stories and levels of abstraction. That kept it useful in retail, digital and campaign work, and kept the brand recognisable.