The mascot that gave life to Atlas Copco's strategy

The challenge

Every three years, Atlas Copco Group gathers its leaders from around the world for a global conference. The Vacuum Technique business area met over three days, and this time the theme was Vacuum & Beyond, which defines the company’s direction over the next three years.

Spoon was tasked with creating the conference’s opening film. The ambition was…ambitious: A real “show-stopper” that would instill the sense that nothing is impossible while building up to the business area president’s entrance on stage.

The production also had to balance advanced AI technology with human storytelling, maintain visual cohesion, and work in the wide 21:9 format.

The insight

The key insight was that the concept Vacuum and Beyond didn’t need to be explained in tangible terms. It would be significantly stronger to let the target audience relate to the meaning of going beyond the obvious.

Since the audience spans the entire world and represents many different backgrounds and business cultures, we needed to find a common reference point to build these emotions around.

The solution

We created a mascot that was equal parts technology and endearing personality. The design drew inspiration from both early vacuum pumps and Atlas Copco’s modern products to create a clearly recognizable character. The mascot then took the lead role in a six-minute, entirely dialogue-free animated film, where it faced a series of tough challenges and overcame them.

The film was created using generative AI as the production engine, but with humans behind the wheel throughout the entire process. Every scene, emotion, and dramatic choice was guided by creators to ensure that technology served the story – not the other way around. At the end of the film, the line between fiction and reality blurred. In a seamless transition, the mascot interacted with the audience on the physical stage and introduced the business area president and keynote speaker.

The result

The mascot quickly won the audience’s hearts. The film was very well received and the mascot appeared both as a 3D-printed figure and as a life-size cardboard cutout.

Conference attendees lined up to take photos with their new colleague, and Atlas Copco is now exploring how the character can continue to be used going forward.

"I love working with the Spoon team. They take the time to understand what we're trying to achieve and bring creative ideas that push our thinking. They're always receptive to feedback and transparent about what's achievable within budget and timelines, so there are never any surprises. I always look forward to our next project together."

– Julie Simpson, Head of Internal Communication, Atlas Copco VTBA