Ming the Cat’s savvy paws topped the polls for the Official Mascot Design contest of 2ndOffice, Inc. Everybody seemed to have fallen for the cuddly feline icon for its keen and accurate senses that describes the kind of attention to details and production speed that the crew carry out the projects they take on.
The proverbial cat may not have made it to the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs, but its supremacy has inspired Maria Rodelyn “Lyn”Hebionada, creator of Ming the Cat (notice the Chinese name pointing to one of the more famous Chinese dynasties?), to finally go for a simple yet popular choice for mascot.
“I decided to go for a cat because of its simplicity. My drawing actually has a laptop on it because I want to show the technical side which the company specializes in,” Lyn said.
Lyn’s Ming the Cat is a domesticated cat with a black patch on her right eye, which kind of gives it a stronger, more unpredictable personality as compared to the other entries.
Among other mascot entries, two other very cute contenders placed second and third prize, namely, Tario Tarsier by Berlin Flores and Tomi Mouse by Mark Bonza. The three took home cash prizes for their creative works, however, Ming the Cat will solely be carried by the company as the official emblem on post-it pads, documents, giveaways and other office paraphernalia. There were even talks of creating a life size mascot to be used in gatherings and other office functions.
The newly dubbed company mascot speaks for the sort of company 2ndOffice is. One look at the logo, and one should be able to discern what kind of services the company can deliver. Ming the Cat was chosen mainly because she possesses qualities that the group embodies. For one, Ming the Cat is a cute and cuddly furball lying on its back, a picture of how comfortable the atmosphere is at the workplace.
Newcomers might find it very awkward on their first day at the office that nobody talks much, that is, before they figure out where the talking takes place. One will usually just hear the clicks of the keyboards and the mouse, but in truth, they are actually having a ball during work. The employees are very silent and focused, yet very warm and helpful.
Everyone keeps up with the high standards of their individual tasks but they do know how to have fun when they take part of the free discussions in the intranet. You’d be surprised with sudden bursts of laughter by the group. Everyone has the same character as seen in the very similar reactions they display.
This characteristic of the group is due to the core value that the company wants to uphold which is based on a unique culture summed up in the company’s tagline, “”helping your business grow”. This group may very well be one of the most well rounded groups in its field– they are multi-talented and multitasking experts. Very typical of any cat which sits silently at time, then suddenly leaps at the sight of an unravelling ball of string.
Though Ming the Cat is still a rough representation of the company, it already presents a clear image of the 2ndOffice, one that is comparative to a cat that is a steady, decisive, inquisitive, and serene entity capable of seeing clearly during the day or night time. With a steady growing number of clientele, there’s no doubt that Ming the Cat will see many days of high flying company operations.
Written by: Theresa Carcamo