Overview
The Assemblies of God U.S. Missions team came to Camp Ape with a simple idea and a lot of room to build: Smush the Pug. From there, we developed a full character style guide designed to turn a rough concept into a mascot with real charm, flexibility, and personality. The goal was to move past clip-art energy and create something kids could actually connect with. What came out of it was a playful brand character built to show up across materials, stories, and ministry moments with consistency and heart.
Assemblies of God
Ministries
Visual Identity
Character Style Guide
3 MONTHS
The Challenge
The challenge? Ditch the dusty clip-art look and dream up something real — a character that kids could actually connect with, not just glance past. Our pitch: build Smush into more than a doodle. Give him a full-blown style guide, a personality, and a wardrobe of quirks that makes him the face of their ministry.
The Solution
What started as a sketch of a wrinkly little pup turned into a full-blown mascot with legs (and paws). Smush went from clip-art cliché to a fully fleshed character with personality, expressions, and a style guide that ministries could actually build stories around. The illustrations leaned playful without talking down to kids, while still being flexible enough to work across coloring books, lesson plans, stickers, or a puppet show if someone felt ambitious. The end result wasn’t just a dog—it was a brand ambassador with bark and bite, ready to make children’s ministry feel fun, approachable, and totally original.
