Fractal Picture and Katara Studios partnered to create the unforgettable mascot La’eeb for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. La’eeb and his Mascot-Verse friends have become the pride of the FIFA World Cup, as the spritely mascot is one of the most watched entities on screen this year.
La’eeb made his animated debut alongside Grammy award winning music producer Red One in the inaugural film Mascot Verse which was showcased at the FIFA draw early this year. All the mascots from previous world cup tournaments were also given pride of place in the same film. The resounding success of this film led to Fractal Picture producing all five episodes in their entirety with creative direction from Ahmed AL Bakr of Katara Studios.
Fractal Picture also created a massive water screen projection film with La’eeb which was showcased on the corniche of Qatar and a film for a 3D LED digital billboard shown on Lusail boulevard which is the time square equivalent of Doha. Fractal Picture also worked on an in-stadium installation called the La’eeb Hype Show.
La’eeb meaning super-skilled-player emerges from a parallel Mascot-Verse to interact with the audience which was designed as an interactive installation for everyone to experience whilst entering the stadium.
“La’eeb who is inspired from the traditional Qatari Keffiyeh (head wear), represents the culture and sensibilities of the FIFA host country. He is conceptualised as a football enthusiast so that the audience’s connect is instantaneous. It’s rare to be associated with one of the planet’s biggest events and be given an opportunity to create and produce beautiful visuals for a global audience and leave an indelible creative footprint on the global map,” Fractal Picture creative producer Aijaz Rashid.
Katara Studios CEO Ahmed Al Bakr said, “It was very exciting to be involved in this project and our objective was to deliver something different to every previous mascot launch. One of our main aims was to present him in a humorous and interactive way while ensuring he appeals to as many people as possible – not just football fans. During the development and animation process, we looked at La’eeb from an outsider’s point of view. Part of the challenge was creating content that non-football fans would enjoy – and I think La’eeb ended up being liked by everyone due to his uplifting personality. I’m very proud of what our team at Katara Studios and Fractal Picture collaboration has produced for all mascot-related content for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which would set a standard never seen before for any previous mascot in terms of the amount of content, activations, and approach.”
Fractal Pictures co-founder and CEO Anish Mulani said, “I’d like to believe we scored the goal on this one. The opportunity to create an original and iconic identity such as La’eeb is an honour and a proud moment for our studio, and country. I’d like to thank our artists, producers and partners at Katara Studios for putting their faith in us from the get-go. It’s been an absolutely incredible experience to produce La’eeb and be part of the FIFA World Cup.”