Brand Mascots, AI, and the Future of Creative Work with Stef Hamerlinck In this episode, Michael Janda talks with Belgian designer, brand strategist, and mascot-obsessed creative Stef Hamerlinck about the strange, exciting, and controversial intersection of brand mascots, generative AI, and creative entrepreneurship. Stef shares how he moved from general graphic design to agency ownership, then into brand strategy, and eventually carved out a unique niche helping brands create memorable mascot-driven identities. He also opens up about the business model that gives him creative freedom: one major retainer client that covers his needs, plus selective side projects that fuel experimentation. The conversation dives deep into AI’s impact on the creative industry. Michael and Stef tackle the ethical concerns, the “AI is stealing jobs” argument, and why creatives need to stop hiding from the tools that are already reshaping the market. Their take: AI is not going away, and the creatives who thrive will be the ones who learn to direct, conceptualize, experiment, and bring personality to the work. Key Takeaways 1. Recurring revenue creates creative freedom Stef’s big retainer client gives him the ability to say no, charge more, and only take side projects that genuinely excite him. 2. Mascots are powerful brand assets Stef explains that characters and sound are among the most memorable brand assets, often outperforming logos, colors, and typography. 3. AI is changing production, not eliminating creativity The future creative role is less about pushing pixels and more about directing ideas, taste, personality, and brand worlds. 4. The real differentiator is personality As high-production visuals become easier to generate, what stands out is character, point of view, humor, and human connection. 5. Don’t be “cooked”—start cooking Instead of ignoring or hating AI, creatives should experiment with it, understand it, and decide how to use it ethically and strategically. Memorable Quotes “Production value on its own is not going to be enough anymore.” “You still need creativity. You still need conceptual thinking.” “Stop saying we’re cooked and start thinking about how we can be cooking.” “The future of creative people is not as much about pushing the pixels as it is directing how those pixels are generated.” Topics Covered Brand strategy, mascot design, AI tools, generative AI ethics, personal branding, creative entrepreneurship, recurring revenue, pricing power, creative direction, brand memorability, and the future of design work. Guest: Stef Hamerlinck Website & Substack Links Stef Hamerlinck Official Website Marcel’s Lab (Substack) Stef Hamerlinck on Substack (@letstalkbranding) Let’s Talk Branding Podcast (Substack) 📸 Instagram Personal IG

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