Meet Stretch: The new Peer Mentoring mascot

Our friendly new Peer Mentoring mascot, Stretch, was conceptualised in late 2025 by students from RMIT’s Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communication).

Stretch is the outcome of a final group assessment that required students to develop a marketing strategy to increase the visibility and awareness of the Peer Mentoring program amongst students at RMIT.

Below are some visual excerpts from the proposal (click to enlarge).

From assignment proposal to published campaign

With permission from the students, Library staff from the Communications and Engagement and Digital Media teams then built on and refined the ideas presented in the student proposal to ensure that Stretch’s visual identity aligned with the RMIT brand.

Peer Mentoring worked with these teams to craft messaging that would effectively promote the service in Australia and internationally. Weeks passed, and Stretch’s identity evolved. We tried different colour combinations, hats, hair and sneakers to find just the right mix. Watch the transformation of Stretch on this YouTube Short.

Stretch gives a thumbs up through a photo card in front of the red RMIT pixel.

Thumbs up from the now on-brand Stretch.

But it didn’t stop there; there was an entire suite of designs that needed to be created.

First, there were promotional assets

This included print and digital signage, promotional merchandise and display items, and a graphics pack loaded with PNGs featuring Stretch in different poses and with various facial expressions that the Peer Mentoring team could use in their training slides and materials.

Stretch was illustrated in 2D and then modelled in 3D, enabling them to be placed in various digital environments and tangible in the real world. A few different models were created before developing the sign-holder featured below.

Stretch came together in a 3D modeling program.

Stretch was test printed as a miniature with the help of the team from the Library's Makerspace, and then fully printed in colour. It took a while to print – 18 hours in fact! Luckily, there was someone there to pick Stretch up when they fell over.

A 3D printed sign holder of Stretch.

Next, an instructional video

The Peer Mentoring team developed a structure for a video, recorded screen captures and gave Stretch a voice.

The Library’s Digital Asset Developer wanted to animate the mascot through motion capture, so she illustrated Stretch with different profiles and facial expressions. With those assets, she created a puppet for Character Animator.

The Character Animator puppet was handed over to the Library’s Senior Multimedia Developer, who brought everything together seamlessly and added some extra magic to create the instructional video.

Screenshot from YouTube training video: RMIT Peer Mentoring Program and the Vygo platform.

Thanks to a brilliant idea from RMIT students, and collaboration across teams in the Library that brought specialised skillsets together, Stretch is now visible around campus, reminding students to reach out for support when they need it – and to STRETCH their potential!

Special thanks

Student team responsible for Stretch, under the direction of Course Coordinator Jan Brueggemeier:

Alice Nguyen
Rebecca Hoang
Vivian Nguyen
Thao Nguyen
Phuong Ta

Library team who took the Stretch concept and adapted it for RMIT:

Daniella Hutchings, Senior Coordinator, Library Peer Mentoring
Vivian Cao, Peer Mentoring Senior Officer
Evelyn Gao, Peer Mentoring Officer
Kim Steere, Peer Mentoring Officer
May Sivakumaran, Digital Asset Developer
AJ Penrose, Senior Multimedia Developer
Amy Clarke, Senior Coordinator, Communications and Engagement
Karl Ervine, Senior Specialist, Digital Learning Resources

23 March 2026

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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