Rather than inventing a mascot from scratch, Setel tapped into something Malaysians already saw as familiar and heartwarming.
Setel’s new brand mascot, Cetel, isn’t just a cute face, she’s a clever bridge between brand and consumer, rooted in local familiarity and emotional resonance.
Her origin story is humble yet potent, modelled after the iconic cat that frequented the PETRONAS station in Kota Sarang Semut, Kedah, Cetel carries with her the authenticity of community recognition, expanding that emotional thread onto a national stage.
The idea was championed by Setel’s social media assistant manager, Nur Sabrina Hanum Akhbar Shah, who not only helped shape the mascot’s early positioning but was also the brain behind the viral “Cetel” tweet that hit over 4 million reach and brought in 4,000 new followers overnight, with coverage in NST, Berita Harian, and WorldOfBuzz.
To give the mascot further credibility, Setel’s social media team invited users to vote on her name, making the process participatory and communal.
The design itself was crafted internally by Setel’s executive designer Wan Muhammad Hidayat Wan Hasmadi ensuring consistency with the brand’s visual identity.
For Dayat, the moment was surreal. What started as a doodle in Adobe Illustrator is now walking around Sunway Pyramid, waving at strangers and stealing the spotlight, Cetel has officially made its debut!
Never thought he’d see the day she would claw her way out of the screen and start waving at people IRL. Now it’s purr-sonally spreading joy, and soon Malaysians will be spotting this cutie all across the country with the amazing Setel team.
That sentiment reflects more than creative pride, it’s a testament to teamwork, with Cetel coming to life through the collective effort of the Setel marketing team and the voices of Malaysians themselves, proving that brand-building is no longer just product thinking but people-first thinking.
Cetel was officially introduced during the “Setel je!” roadshow at Sunway Pyramid, where she came to life not just as a character but as part of a larger brand experience. From meet and greets to merchandise and activations.
Beyond her launch moment, Cetel is designed to live across multiple touchpoints, both digital and physical, symbolising Setel’s ambition to become more than just a fuel and mobility app, but a friendly everyday companion.
This move aligns with the brand’s broader push to inject warmth into its communications, underscoring the campaign message “Setel je! Sekali tekan, semua jalan,” which fuses functionality with familiarity.
In a market crowded with apps competing on features, Cetel gives Setel an emotional edge, positioning the brand as approachable, humanised, and rooted in belonging.
The interesting part now will be sustaining her relevance, whether through storytelling on social media, integration into the app’s interface, or evolving as a recognisable symbol of trust.
For Setel, Cetel isn’t just a mascot, she’s a strategy, a collaboration, and a soft power that could transform a transactional product into a cultural companion.
And who knows, with so many Malaysians already asking if they can take Cetel home as a plushie, could that be next on the horizon?
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