Cooper canvases for doodlers MINI makes fun appearance at Comicon

Geeks of all ages had a lot of reason to, well, geek out over the weekend with the first-ever local staging of the AsiaPOP Comicon (APCC), staged by Universal Events & Entertainment. The “international convention themed around comics, film, toys, and collectibles, animation, games, cosplay, superheroes, and everything pop culture” drew throngs to the World Trade Center in Pasay City with a sundry of sights, activities, and even international celebrities such as Paul Bettany (of Avengers and Priest, among others) and Nathalie Emmanuel (best known for her role as Missandei on the runaway HBO hit Game of Thrones).

This convention appeared to be the last place you’d see a car on display, but there they were: a three-door and a five-door MINI Cooper in pristine white — with people swarming over them, pens in hand and drawing on the chassis. Wait, what?

No, it wasn’t a case of vandalism, but a truly unique expression of creativity via an iconic car known for being highly customizable.

Presided over by Singapore-based Band of Doodlers (which has drawn for the likes of Google, the Singapore Grand Prix, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Starbucks, among others), self-confessed “white space bandits on a mission to ride the world of blank spaces by filling them with fun,” the two MINIs were soon turned into black and white murals on wheels peopled by cartoon characters and other images from the imagination. Working in tandem with their Filipino doodling pals, two distinct “canvases” emerged from the two MINI variants.

The three-door Cooper was drawn onto as a more “family-friendly” project, asserted Band of Doodlers founder Mas Shafreen. “They have cute characters.”

The five-door Cooper, on the other hand, bore a more “masculine ” theme, said Shafreen. He said that the superhero theme actually “aligns with the MINI personality” — particularly the performance of the Cooper S. On the roof, Shafreen doodled an image of Star Wars villain Darth Vader, while a Filipino counterpart drew the famous Marvel Comics villain, world devourer Galactus.

Shafreen confessed that he “couldn’t think of anything” when he learned that Band of Doodlers was conscripted to work on the MINI cars. “I was too excited,” the artist confessed with a grin. “And when I came to my senses, I thought this was awesome. I’ve drawn on a car before, but never on a MINI.”

He added: “I’ve always liked the MINI Cooper for both the lifestyle it conveys and the performance appeal. From a purely drawing point of view… I know that the MINI has a very drawable surface. The panels are quite minimalistic. There aren’t too many grooves to cover.”

Autohub Group of Companies (under which MINI Philippines falls under through British United Automobiles) president Willy Tee Ten told The STAR that MINI involved itself in the APCC as official limousine partner because “the car is perfect for this event.” He continued: “Along with sterling performance, top-notch technology, and distinguished history, MINI vehicles are famous for promising, and delivering, in the fun department.”

MINI Philippines continues to harp about its generous, “once-in-a-lifetime” offer, dubbed “Next Stop: UK,” that gifts each buyer of its vehicles (until October 15) with an all-expenses-paid trip to Oxford in the United Kingdom. The three-day, two-night European jaunt is bannered by a trip to the famous Plant Oxford, the heart of MINI production. A tourist destination itself, the sprawling, state-of-the-art factory features some 4,000 employees working side-by-side with 1,000 robots.

MINI asserts that the promotion doesn’t entail a raffle. Each buyer automatically gets the privilege, which is transferable, by the way.

For now, the question is, what will happen to these doodled-on MINIs? Willy says, “I don’t know yet what to do with these units, but definitely they will be displayed in our showroom, and I am inviting everyone to check out and see these works of art.”

Time to get your geek on.