Meet Baylee, Nimbus, Jasmine, Mira and Barty
The San Francisco Bay Area’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system unveiled five anime mascots, debuting at Northern California’s FanimeCon convention this weekend. BART staff will physically attend the event to introduce the new mascots and distribute merchandise, promotional tickets, collectible postcards and other miscellaneous.
BART also previews the postcard art featuring the aforementioned pets, along with “friendly sidekick” Barty in the lower right corner.
BART describes the new mascots as the latest in its “concerted efforts to meet the young riders of Generation Z, a growing and trusted rider demographic since the pandemic, where they are and nurture the next generation of riders, advocates and enthusiasts of the public transport”.
BART Communications launched an open call for California-based artists to submit a series of original anime mascots last summer. The open call received nearly 500 proposals. The project credits illustrators yokura, niaro, tofubuns, rolleybun, and melody for the designs.
FanimeCon will take place May 26-29 at the McEnery Convention Center in downtown San Jose.
Source: Press release