If the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has Miraitowa, and the fashion world has the ocelot as their mascot, China’s Keeta has, KiKi, its official mascot. Let’s get to know Keeta a little bit better here.
KiKi, can they choose a better name? Ridesharing Forum is meaning, the name is gorgeous! Officially, KiKi is a lively cheetah, and this cheetah is roaring while getting the people talkin’!
So, KiKi is a cute cheetah that may resemble the brand image of the irresistible Cheetos, or Tigger in Disney’s “Winnie-the-Pooh,” but its Chinese creators wouldn’t be wrong, for sure.
Here’s how the creatives describe KiKi: “The mascot, named KiKi aims to embody Keeta’s core values of speed, reliability, and innovation. As such, each feature of the character has been strategically designed to resonate with Keeta’s commitment to bringing customers joy with every order. KiKi features sonic ears for truly effective listening, a mighty mouth for spreading wondrous, excellence, and incredible things, and a balancing tail that keeps everything perfectly in sync. Inspired by the cheetah origins of the Keeta name, KiKi channels the same speed, stamina, and forward-looking spirit that define the brand.”
So, why a cheetah? You got that aside from a cheetah’s demeanor, speed, and resilience, cheetahs are native mostly in South Africa, particularly in Nambia, the cheetah capital of the world. So yes, speed is to cheetah, and speed is to Keeta, got that?
And, the creatives behind KiKi agree.
Jimmy Jiang, the Keeta creative director from the Middle East, told Ridesharing Forum, “KiKi is more than a mascot – it’s a warm, friendly expression of what Keeta stands for. From the smile inspired by our logo to the golden tones that tie back to our brand family, every detail of KiKi is crafted to feel optimistic, familiar, and full of life. We wanted a character customers instantly recognise – and genuinely enjoy welcoming into their everyday moments.”
Couldn’t agree more. Media intelligence firm that witnessed the unveiling, CARMA, is saying, meanwhile, that KiKi was framed as a “brand-building asset.”
“Creative cues such as friendly, inspired, visibility, and interactive suggest that Kiki was framed as a brand-building asset. Discussion was neutral in tone, more descriptive and informational 66.7 percent positive sentiment, with no negative sentiment detected, pointing to favorable reception,” CARMA stated.
Of course, people from Hong Kong, where Keeta is headquartered, as it is a subsidiary of China’s Meituan, would declare that since “a mascot’s true power lies in making the intangible tangible, helping brands connect with people on a deeper, more emotional level,” it must serve a dual purpose.
“Strategically, they serve a dual purpose: helping a brand ‘stand for’ its core strategic values while enabling it to ‘stand out’ in a competitive marketplace. The ‘stand for’ helps to drive feelings, whereas ‘stand out’ drives familiarity,” echoed Danley Stone from Design Bridge & Partners Hong Kong.
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