Just a quick post – nothing strenuous.
A lot of brands have spotted something, so it seems.
Check out O2 and their little robot:
This little chap is called Bubl – created by VCCP.
He’s cute. He’s charming – even more so in the O2 TV ads.
He brings the ‘awwww’ factor, and that’s what brands have cottoned on to.
Bubl makes it that little bit harder to fast forward past the ad. He makes you feel something.
It was the same with Aldi and Kevin the Carrot.
How could you not warm to him and his little family?
How will you ever chop a carrot again?
John Lewis, with their usual, much anticipated Christmas ad went with animated characters (humans, a snowman, pigeons, a hedgehog) and jumped on the ‘awwww’ factor bandwagon.
And of course there are constants, like the meerkats for Compare The Market – not least the ad with the sleepy kids.
So it’s simple. If you’re struggling to produce an idea for a campaign, try to create a cute animated character – one who’s harder to just flick past. You may, just may, benefit from the ‘awwww’ factor.