Pride Shrike: A Refreshing Mascot Design for the National High School Athletic Games

A Unique Mascot Celebrating Pingtung's Pride and Athletes' Achievements

Pride Shrike, the mascot of the 2020 National High School Athletic Games in Pingtung, Taiwan, is a unique and captivating design that celebrates both the spirit of the games and the pride of the athletes. The mascot was named "Pride Shrike" as "bird" is pronounced similar to "pride" in Taiwanese, as well as echoing with the slogan "Pingtung Pride." The games cheer not only for the winners but all athletes as they all make people proud.

What sets Pride Shrike apart is its incorporation of the Brown Shrike, the bird native to Pingtung County. This choice not only breaks away from the traditional monkey mascot but also showcases the beauty and diversity of the region's wildlife. The design team worked closely with the Endemic Species Research Institute to accurately depict the distinctive features of the Brown Shrike, ensuring an authentic representation.

Pride Shrike is brought to life through a combination of graphic and three-dimensional elements. The team created animated stickers using After Effects and an APNG creation tool, resulting in dynamic and engaging visuals. These animated stickers, available on LINE, the popular communication software in Taiwan, provide a novel and interactive way to promote the games.

When creating the stickers, the team focused on two main creative directions. First, they aimed to promote sports as the main purpose, integrating the shrike into various sports to showcase the strength and beauty of each race. Second, they wanted to connect with the younger generation of athletes, who are between 12 to 18 years old. To achieve this, the shrike in the stickers speaks funny buzzwords, adding a playful and relatable element.

The Pride Shrike mascot project began in April 2019 and was completed in December 2019. The mascot was officially released and exhibited in January 2020, just in time for the National High School Athletic Games held from July 18 to July 23 in Pingtung, Taiwan. With over 12,000 athletes from different counties and cities participating, Pride Shrike serves as a symbol of unity and pride for all.

The design of Pride Shrike presented several challenges, with capturing the unique traits of the Brown Shrike being the most significant. The team worked closely with ornithologists to accurately depict the bird's physical characteristics, such as the white face with a black "bandit-mask" through the eyes, reddish upper parts, yellowish belly with rufous flanks, and a redder tail tipped in white.

Pride Shrike has received recognition for its outstanding design. It was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Advertising, Marketing, and Communication Design category in 2021. This prestigious award recognizes designs that exhibit strong technical and creative skills, contributing to improvements in quality of life and making the world a better place.