The Barça family has a new member. It’s the mascot CAT, a wildcat, a native feline from Catalonia that has all the most characteristic elements of Barça in its DNA. The mascot CAT is known for being an FC Barcelona fan, charismatic, innovative, a leader, demanding, creative and inclusive, traits that inspired the creative process.
Presented at the gala at the Liceu held on 29 November 2024, the date of FC Barcelona’s anniversary, the mascot CAT does not have a defined gender, it is both female and male, thus becoming a modern symbol that represents its inclusive spirit, with a friendly and positive character. It is a cheerful cat, enthusiastic about both football and all the other sports that make FC Barcelona a multi-sport club, with both men’s and women’s professional and amateur teams.
Creating the new Barça mascot for the 125th anniversary was a long and inspiring process led by the FC Barcelona Identity Department, which covers everything involved with the Barça brand, and which remained a constant to ensure that essence was in the final outcome. The Club worked alongside the renowned Grangel brothers from Grangel Studio to produce it.
This creative hub founded by Jordi and Carlos Grangel is very close to the Spotify Camp Nou, and they have collaborated internationally with DreamWorks, Sony and Universal Pictures, among others, as well as creating major successes such as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and Pinocchio. Their tremendous career has seen them work with famous directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton.
FC Barcelona’s identity, embedded in its DNA
One of the key aspects that makes this new member of the blaugrana family even more special is that it was created based on one of the most representative symbols in Barça’s history, the crest. The mascot CAT came about by honouring Catalan roots, hence its name, and with the same pride that the Club feels by also representing the city of Barcelona around the world. The crest’s borders form its ears, as well as its cheeks and large laughing mouth, elements also in the crest itself.
In addition to its facial features, the Club’s colours are embedded in its DNA, also inspired by the crest, with blue and garnet prominent, plus yellow and white, among others. Along these lines, and to continue reinforcing its Catalan roots, there are four garnet stripes on a yellow background on its forehead, the FC Barcelona colours in its mouth, and a ball, also present in the crest.
The team responsible for designing the mascot and bringing it to life were DDT Efectos Especiales, founded by David Martí and Montse Ribé. This company has worked on major productions like The Orphanage, The Skin I Live In and A Monster Calls, among others. In 2007, they won the greatest honour in the industry, an Oscar for their work on Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Last year they received yet another nomination, this time for Juan Antonio Bayona’s Society of the Snow.
Furthermore, the mascot CAT will also have its own social media profile on Instagram and TikTok, where you can follow everything it gets up (@catculer).
The mascot as a touch and feel picture
The Club has always believed in inclusivity and accessibility, promoting activities that are adapted and accessible to all. This commitment was particularly present during the process to conceive the new mascot for Barça’s 125th anniversary. In conjunction with ONCE and with the aim of making the mascot accessible to blind and visually impaired people, it is a touch and feel picture that means the mascot can be “seen” through touch.
This picture with relief was also presented during the 125th anniversary gala dinner, when a video was payed featuring a male and a female Barça Genuine player collecting a gift from ONCE, and blind and visually impaired boys and girls explaining how they perceive the mascot. When developing this version of the mascot, different textures were used to represent the parts of the face and the body, while ensuring they are suitably sized and can be felt by fingers. Durable, safe and easy to clean materials were also used, with colour contrasts used to distinguish the different parts of the picture. The specific textures associated with blue and garnet particularly stand out to differentiate FC Barcelona’s colours.
