MSN.nl – Consumer campaign featuring Papi

How do you make an online brand with countless services recognizable and coherent for millions of users? For MSN.nl, we developed a national campaign that made the platform’s versatility tangible — with a cheerful and instantly recognizable face.

Our approach

At the heart of the campaign stood Papi: a cartoon character inspired by the iconic MSN butterfly symbol. Papi was more than a mascot — he became the platform’s guide, appearing on pages where users were active and offering contextual suggestions for other MSN services. In doing so, he created unity, strengthened brand experience, and made MSN’s digital world more personal and accessible.

From strategy and concept to creation and style guide, we designed the entire campaign with a focus on consistency and impact.

The result

The introduction of Papi created greater coherence in the brand experience and increased both the visibility of individual services and MSN’s overall brand awareness.

The campaign gained additional momentum through collaborations with major platforms such as De Telegraaf, NOS, De Telefoongids, ANWB, Vrouwonline, and NU.nl — including during the launch of MSN Explorer.

🏆 The result did not go unnoticed: the campaign was awarded the EMEA “Case of the Year” Award.

Papi proved that a brand icon can not only evoke sympathy but also provide direction and structure to a broad and complex range of products.