Update, July 24: The LinkedIn post has since been deleted. The original story follows below.
Sofia Coelho, the art director who led the visual design and concept for Lil’ Finder Guy, has shared a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the MacBook Neo campaign’s mascot came to be. Here are the details.
’Measuring exactly one apple tall’
In a post shared today on LinkedIn, Apple art director Sofia Coelho shared an interesting gallery with a couple of behind-the-scenes snapshots of the work involved in creating Lil’ Finder Guy for the MacBook Neo campaign.
In her post, framed as a tongue-in-cheek birthday announcement, Coelho credits the colleagues who worked with her on the Cannes Lions-shortlisted campaign and describes leading the character’s visual design and concept as a “dream design project.”
She also shares a photo containing several sketches and studies of Lil’ Finder Guy’s expressions, proportions, and overall shape, in addition to what appears to be an airbrushed physical prototype of the character.
Lil’ Finder Guy was heavily featured throughout the MacBook Neo campaign, with Apple starring the character in a livestream and a series of TikTok videos. It also quickly became an internet meme, inspiring fan-made artwork, wallpapers, 3D-printable models, and more.
The character also made an easter egg-style appearance in at least one WWDC 2026 session, in addition to being featured on an enamel pin included in attendees’ swag bags.
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