The Engadget mascot contest: win a Wii!
By Ryan Block 
posted April 23rd 2007 3:08PM
posted April 23rd 2007 3:08PM
Let's face it, Engadget needs a mascot that's not one of our dear, sweet readers all dolled up like some random device on Halloween. That's where you and your artistic talents come in: we want you to make us an Engadget mascot to appear on the site, on future t-shirts, and anywhere else you think an Engadget mascot might show up (think: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade -- just kidding). Just for fun we made Paul draw up that little guy to the right, Sonny the Explody Battery: "Stay safe, boys and girls!"
For your efforts we'll repay you with a brand new Nintendo Wii, provided by the WMExperts store.Here are the rules (and some suggestions on how to win our favor):
- You may only enter this specific contest once, but you can enter it with as many mascot entries as you like. You can create a whole family of mascots, or just one.
- These have to be production quality. In other words, don't send us an outline or sketch you did on a napkin, or a 30-second MS Paint mockup. We want to see some effort!
- Suggestion: if you're only sending one mascot, try sending multiple poses. If you're sending a bunch of mascots and can't do multiple poses, send them in a pose that's easy to use for a variety of scenarios.
- Preferred in vector formats, but rasterized images are ok, too.
- Keep the mascot theme relevant! We don't have any need for a cartoon hippopotamus mascot, you know?
- Do not use trademarked or copyrighted materials. Note how our character's name is Sonny, not Sony?
- The grand prize (Wii, NTSC) is open to international entrants.
- Contest is open until 11:59pm EST on Sunday, May 6th.
- Send your entries to us at contest [AT] engadget.com. Make sure you put "MASCOT" in the title of your email. Attachments are cool.
Onefastgta,
No, this is not like your neighbor helping you build a shed for a six-pack. This is exactly like a FOR-PROFIT company asking a couple of hundred construction workers to each build a shed and only offering to pay the best shed builder a six-pack.
If there are any construction workers willing to do it then they can but you can sure bet that the local union will be pissed.
Again, all of this is fine as long as everyone involved is ok with the rules but let us all be honest about what Engadget is asking for.
We asked for production quality because we intend to use it on the site, as stated. Last time I checked anyone with a computer (i.e. anyone) can make production quality content.
As for copyright, I think the operating assumption here is that people would submit this design with full knowledge of our intentions to use it on Engadget. Their reward for winning the contest would be -- shocker! -- the prize (a Wii) in exchange for the right to use the work. We say right in the post that this will appear on Engadget, so I really have no idea what's not clear about this. If someone doesn't want their work to appear on Engadget, or they aren't happy with a Wii (which cost $500, not $250), they should not enter the contest.
EW: "I felt that AIGA said it pretty well, so I just copied and pasted their letter. [...] A little more clarity around copyright would be helpful."
There seems to be some contradiction here.
Wow...whatta storm.
Completely lame.
This contest is supposed to be about having fun & being creative & coming up with a mascot - not a logo. Professional designers who don't have the time for such things simply won't enter.
I don't see how this is any different than the screensaver contest a while back, or the cake one.
It's not like Engadget NEEDS a mascot. Asking users to come up with a new web site design or something would cross a line. This does not.
I wish I had any graphic art skills whatsoever, or I'd have several submissions in already. Unfortunately my skills stop at the outline or sketch on a napkin level.
"I don't see how this is any different than the screensaver contest"
I know, I'm a programmer and free software is everywhere. AIGA letter goes on about how their discipline is singled out for free work (i.e. you don't see dentist doing this) but the Internet has changed the game - people write software for free, compose and produce music which you can listen to for free (MySpace), people design phone themes and computer wallpapers for free. Adapt or perish.
PS: Once a mascot is chosen I really hope Engadget eventually makes a plush toy or something that we can buy off the site. I'll buy 2, and send one to EW.
Ryan - I dont believe EW made his post just for the sake of giving people grief, he is actually concerned that certain people are being exploited - even though in this instance his concern is misplaced.
What he has posted about is actually a HUGE problem for any illustrator working freelance, especially so if they are just starting out. Companies expect you to bust your hump for sweet FA and be happy about the privilege of working for them - something I have had first hand experience of.
Hey Ryan!
Do you think the hoards will be pacified if you added a few games into the mix?
(/optimism)
Ryan Im backing you 1000%.
Do the creators of free software undermine well established software companies? Do Linux developers make Windows and Microsoft obselete?
More creativity often flows from amatuers than professionals. You professionals just need a kick in the ass to realize it aint that hard to do
wow, what's wrong with you people! If you don't feel that your time is worth the prize, then stfu, and don't enter!
I highly doubt that engadget is going to make any money off of this. And who cares if it's not professional! Professional crap is generic! I want to see some creativity from people who know engadget, and read it alot.
And even if they were making making thousands of dollars off of this, I'm shure that there's enough people who really don't care, and would do this even if a $10 gift certificate was the prize!
I for one, happen to be a nintendo/mac hater, and as such would never want to own a Wii. But I'm probebly going to sumbit a mascot anyway.
It doesn't matter if it's a mascot or a logo. Would it be OK to pay a Graphic Designer for a logo but not pay a cartoonist for an illustration? Don't kid yourself folks, engadget gets off very cheap here, expecting full ownership of the copyright of a work for the price of a Wii. Oh, and throw in a few more poses and production quality and vector, if you could...
The value of a Wii wouldn't pay for a good production artist to do a production quality illustration, let alone the designer's time developing the creative idea and figuring out one or more poses.
BTW, I pity engadgets resident designers who will end up integrating some dog-ugly art into the site desing and probably end up redrawing it themselves just to make it work.
We love you engadget. Ignore the haters.
24 hours after you unveil the mascot, it will show up as the logo of an Asian electronics store named "Engadget", whose owners vehemently refuse of ever hearing about such a website.
Whoa! A mascot that will surely bring a lively presence to Engadget image is bound to become part of the logo. After all, we live in an era of symbolic icons that simplify and contribute to the cool aesthetic.
It's awfully complicated for outsider people to understand the cohesion a blogsite like Engadget has with its readership. The tepid could've been avoided with a better prize (perhaps a Mac/Dell rig).
I hope that whatever prominence was originally planned for the winning entry, remains unchanged by what's been said here today. Maybe the legal dept can tighten up the terms in those release forms.
At the end of the day, nobody knows who THEY'RE working for
tepid and cautious response that is
EW:
just enter the contest already and go for the friggin Wii. it's worth it. stop bitchin.
Sorry if someone already posted this...
Did I miss the part where anyone was being forced to participate in this contest? Why all the anger and bile?
No Hippos?!?! God dammit! Now what mascot am I going to create? A bunny?
Wow, I just don't understand how some of these haters can't comprehend the fact that if they don't think it's worth it, they don't have to enter! What a concept!
I do have a question about the contest submissions though, what formats would you like? Can I submit an .ai file or do you need a .jpeg/.png/.gif? Please let me know!
Thanks in advance.
WOW, I for one never imagined such a seemingly simple contest could become so contreversial? Anyways, I do have one suggestion to appease the Middle-Age Inhuman Lawyer Weasles. (NO offense, Mr Cartwright or other real lawyers, but I spent the last 30 seconds trying to come up with that TMNT ref, so I'm gonna use it) Anyways... sorry, it's late I ramble. Anyways, just to be clear on the legal rules and so forth, does Weblogs retain trademark ownership of ALL entries, or just the winner? (Something like this would be trademark I believe, not Copyright) This clarification would be kind of nice. Also, when did the Wii start costing $500? Last I knew, it was $250 retail. If you're getting it off of eBay, though, you got a heck of a deal at only $500.
Anyways, good luck to all, except the winner because obviously (s)he has/had/will have enough talent that the luck of the other entrants was meaningless.
oh, and yes, I could be fired from my trade union (and thus from my job) for participating in this kind of competition.
Sorry.
Heads up to those that want to include text in their mascot: I have created an open-source Engadget font, based on the appearance of the logo.
http://www.thibault.org/fonts/engadget/