Major Tuddy: Introducing the Washington Commanders Mascot

Client: Washington CommandersThe NFL in America's capital
Film: Introducing Major TuddyA :50 trailer for the team's first mascot
Reveal: Sunday, 1 January 2023Halftime at FedExField, against the Cleveland Browns
Shoot: Friday, 16 DecemberGreen screen at FedExField, filmed by the team
Delivered: Friday, 30 DecemberFive versions, from stadium boards to square
Presented by: Pepsi Zero SugarOn the social end card

Major Tuddy is the Washington Commanders’ first official mascot: a hog in a burgundy helmet, named for the touchdown and raised on the legend of the Hogs.

We made the trailer that introduced him. It played on the stadium boards at FedExField on New Year’s Day 2023, just before he ran out at halftime against the Cleveland Browns, and went out across the Commanders’ channels the same afternoon, made for small screens and stadium-sized ones alike.

Major Tuddy in front of a row of explosions above the Major Tuddy title from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders

“This is brilliant. Love it so much.”

Will Misselbrook, Washington Commanders, on the first cut

Why a hog

Major Tuddy’s character pays homage to the Hogs, the nickname given to Washington’s most famous offensive line, the big men up front for the franchise’s three Super Bowl wins under Joe Gibbs. The trailer opens on them in black and white. The team’s own video archive only goes back to 2013, so the Hogs come from the NFL Films season reviews of their years.

The opening: the Hogs in black and white, getting down in their stance

Then come the Hogettes, the fans who turned up to games in dresses, flowered hats and plastic pig snouts. They get their own scenes in the film, and so does a Santa in a snout.

The Hogs, Washington's 1980s offensive line, in their Hogs T-shirts on the field from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — The Hogs, as the trailer remembers them.

The Hogettes, Washington fans in pig snouts, hats and raincoats, cheering in the stands from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — The Hogettes, in full voice.

The fans chose him too. Through the 2022 offseason the team ran a vote called Command the Mascot. The first round offered four themes: hog, dog, historical figure and superhero. By the first preseason game in August it was down to two, and the hog won.

Round one of the Commanders' Command the Mascot vote: pick a theme, hog, dog, historical figure or super hero from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — Round one on the team's site: pick a theme.

Round two of the Commanders' Command the Mascot vote: hog or dog from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — Round two: hog or dog.

The team's own voting board, hog against dog, as it ran at FedExField

Born on a green screen

Will Misselbrook, the Commanders’ Chief Creative and Content Officer, had one rule for the trailer: keep it fun. On Friday 16 December the team’s content crew put Tuddy in his suit at FedExField and filmed him walking out of the tunnel, then working through every hype move and joke on the shot list in front of a green screen, on a Sony FX3 at 120 frames a second.

We brought Major Tuddy to life from those green screen clips and cut him into footage from the Commanders archives. He is born in a lab, hides his face in a sea of laughing emoji, rides an exercise bike behind a WE WANT DALLAS!! sign, and lines up three times over in a three-point stance.

Born in a lab, stitched in the workshop, boots on in the locker room

The bike, the crowd, and three of him in a three-point stance

A gloved hand pouring a jar in a lab beside a tiny Major Tuddy from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — Frames from the trailer: green screen Tuddy in his new worlds. Scroll sideways.

Major Tuddy posing in front of a red wall of laughing emoji from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — Frames from the trailer: green screen Tuddy in his new worlds. Scroll sideways.

Purposely over the top

When the title lands, Tuddy dabs and the screen behind him erupts into a row of explosions. It took longer than any other shot in the film. It stayed exactly as it was, purposely over the top, and the other explosions came down a notch to make room for it.

Introducing Major Tuddy: the explosion, kept as it was

Waiting in the wings

The film ends with the team’s own marching band playing the new fight song. It sets the scene for the moment the trailer was building to: Tuddy waiting in the wings on New Year’s Day, ready to come running out.

Touchdown: the signal, the sideline, the celebration

Five shapes for one afternoon

The first cut went over on 28 December, and the notes came back the next morning. On 30 December we delivered five versions: one for the HD boards at FedExField, ending on a Welcome Major Tuddy card, and four for social, in 16:9, 9:16, 4:5 and square, closing on the Pepsi Zero Sugar card. The stadium cut was turned around once more overnight, in time for the boards’ deadline on New Year’s Eve morning.

The Major Tuddy end card, presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar from RIOT's Major Tuddy trailer for the Washington Commanders — The social end card, presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar.

Six weeks

From the first call to halftime

Tue 22 NovThe mascotFirst call with the Commanders about Tuddy, and about a film on how he was made.
Tue 6 DecThe trailerA call with Will Misselbrook: a hype trailer for the reveal, and keep it fun.
Fri 16 DecGreen screenTuddy suits up at FedExField for the tunnel walk-out and the shot list.
Wed 28 DecFirst cutThe trailer goes over to the team that afternoon.
Thu 29 DecNotesThe fight song stays. So does the explosion.
Fri 30 DecFive versionsStadium boards, 16:9, 9:16, 4:5 and square.
Sun 1 JanHalftimeMajor Tuddy runs out at FedExField against the Browns.

Live on New Year’s Day

The trailer went out on the Commanders’ own channels the afternoon Tuddy was revealed, and it is still up: the tweet and the reel, as posted.

Next: the making of

A few weeks later came Making The Mascot, the longer film about how Tuddy was built, from the first drawings to the workshop where his suit was made. For more on why Washington’s fans wear pig snouts, read our journal entry, For the fans, by the fans.

Major Tuddy, in short

Making The Mascot →Commanders and RIOT →

Who is Major Tuddy?

Major Tuddy is the Washington Commanders' mascot, the first official mascot in the franchise's history. He was introduced at FedExField at halftime of the game against the Cleveland Browns on 1 January 2023.

Why is the Washington Commanders mascot a pig?

He is a hog, after the Hogs, Washington's famous offensive line of the 1980s and early '90s under coach Joe Gibbs, and the Hogettes, the fans who came to games in dresses and pig snouts. The fans picked him too: the team's 2022 Command the Mascot vote came down to a hog or a dog.

Why is he called Major Tuddy?

Tuddy is short for touchdown. His helmet is modeled on the ones worn by active duty members of the military.

What does the 00 on Major Tuddy's jersey mean?

The two zeros on his back are a nod to a pig's snout. His uniform takes its look from Washington's uniforms of the 1980s and '90s.

Where is Major Tuddy from?

According to the team, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He has a lifelong love of all things DMV, from go-go music to mambo sauce wings.

How did the Commanders choose their mascot?

With a fan vote through the 2022 offseason. Round one offered four themes: hog, dog, historical figure and superhero. By the first preseason game in August it was down to hog or dog.

Who made the Major Tuddy trailer?

RIOT, the New York creative agency. We directed and cut the trailer from green screen footage the Commanders shot at FedExField, and added the archive of the Hogs and the Hogettes, the effects and the sound.

Where did the Major Tuddy trailer play?

On the HD boards at FedExField on New Year's Day 2023, before his halftime reveal, and across the Commanders' social channels, in five versions from the stadium boards to square.

Credits

Client: Washington Commanders
Client leads: Will Misselbrook, Chief Creative and Content Officer
Roman Shuman
Rael Enteen
Agency: RIOT
Creative direction, edit, VFX and sound design: Chris Maguire
Producer: Nastassja Simone
Green screen and gameday footage: Washington Commanders
Archive: NFL Films
Starring: Major Tuddy