Once upon a time, it was a normal afternoon at DPD headquarters when Milan, the son of our Social Media Manager, came to visit. While the adults discussed campaign ideas, Milan sat down in a corner with a piece of paper, a pen, and doodled a bit.
After a while, he returned – with a small sketch showing a package that he had drawn a face on. 'The fastest package in the world! It has legs so it can run and is always in a good mood.'
The team was immediately excited. 'Why not?' thought Jasmine, Hannes, and Ana from marketing. 'A package that runs and brings smiles to people – that fits perfectly with the DPD Pacemaker campaign!'
In no time, Pacie became the mascot – from a simple children's sketch emerged a true campaign idol. With its big eyes, small legs, and cheeky smile, Pacie has since accompanied runners, motivates them, and brings energy to every event.
And perhaps Pacie will really run a marathon soon – because anyone created with so much heart and imagination can only win.
We spoke with Ana from the marketing team that brought Pacie to life, and received some exciting insights:
Pacie was actually a spontaneous flash of inspiration – right in the middle of one of our brainstorming sessions for the Pacemaker campaign. We were considering: Who or what could take on the role of a real motivator on the course? Someone who radiates energy but also clearly shows: We are DPD, we bring movement into play. And then suddenly, this image appeared in the room – a running package with heart, speed, and humor. The idea was so crazy that it was simply good. From a small sketch on a notepad, Pacie actually emerged – our sporty package with character.
Designing a package mascot that is both charming and functional was no easy task. It needed to be clearly recognizable as a DPD package but not appear bulky or stiff – after all, Pacie is out at events, dancing, running, and interacting with people. The biggest challenge was to find the right balance between form, mobility, and charisma.
Pacie has become a little star at our events. Runners laugh, wave, and take selfies. The internal feedback is also great – our colleagues see Pacie not just as a mascot but as a symbol of our team spirit. Especially heartwarming: the childrenlove Pacie. At our last event, they ran straight up to him, wanted high-fives, and even asked if Pacie would come back.😃
Pacie achieves what digital campaign elements cannot: He is present without being intrusive. He brings smiles to people – regardless of whether they are running, cheering, or just passing by. For me, Pacie is the perfect blend of brand essence (our package), emotion (enthusiasm, humor, closeness), and activation (he brings energy). If a mascot can win hearts while conveying our message, then it has more than fulfilled its job.
Pacie will definitely keep running! He will be present at the next running events – perhaps even with new moves in tow. Additionally, we want to increasingly use Pacie digitally, for example on social media with short clips, challenges, or behind-the-scenes insights. And who knows – maybe Pacie will soon have his own merchandise or a mini-series on Instagram. We have plenty of ideas – and Pacie is definitely ready for more.
So Pacie shows us: With a little imagination and heart, something great can emerge from the smallest idea – we feel this with every step of our DPD Pacemaker runners, who are out there together with passion, speed, and team spirit.
Thank you, Pacie!
Home / From a sketch to campaign star: The true story of Pacie, the running package
