Characters

Instinct sees us gravitate toward the familiar. Whether through shared emotions, the reassurance of things we instantly recognize, or the universal language of humor—humans are drawn to the comfort of the familiar. This phenomenon is rooted in a psychological principle known as the Mere Exposure Effect, which suggests that the more frequently we encounter something, the more we’ll tend to like it over time.

It therefore shouldn’t come as a surprise that advertisers have long sought to harness this powerful behavioral mechanism, using repetition to build familiarity and strengthen the connection between brand and consumer. However, increased frequency of exposure alone isn’t a guaranteed way to form a genuine connection. After all, nobody is instantly seduced by a life insurance company or seeks comfort in the warm bosom of a utility supplier!

Instead, the real opportunity for advertisers lies in building personable representations of the brand’s most appealing qualities. And to do this advertising has a particularly powerful tool at its disposal: Characters. It could be a protagonist who surprises and delights viewers or a prickly antagonist who symbolizes a problem only the brand can solve. Whatever the circumstances, the right character (fictional beings, human or otherwise) can provide the reassurance needed to strengthen emotional attachment. But more than that, done well and characters offer the opportunity for advertisers to reach the Promised Land—that is, being instantly recognizable with only a fleeting exposure.

That said, characters don’t come without their risks. What happens if the character isn’t welcomed with open arms? What if they dominate the conversation and overshadow the brand? Or worse still, paint the brand in a negative light?‍

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Characters can take many shapes and forms

While the use of celebrity ambassadors (e.g. George Clooney and Nespresso) or recurring roles (e.g. Jake from State Farm) are often what comes to mind when people think of characters, the truth is almost anything can be molded to personify a brand. Rapid advancements in the field of animation (not to mention the arrival of AI) has made the process of adding human characteristics to a swathe of inanimate objects (known as anthropomorphism) relatively frictionless, meaning that creating an ownable brand character has never been easier.

That said, the simple use of animals can sometimes be all that’s needed to create a shortcut to recognition and memorability. Take U.K. insurer Churchill’s iconic British Bulldog, Churchie. Not only does the beloved canine work wonders to inject swathes of emotion into a notoriously unemotional category, but over 20 years has become an intrinsic and automatic link back to the Churchill brand. The kicker? Delivering the all-important one-two punch necessary for Branded Memorability through a single asset!

Read More: 🇬🇧 Churchill “Slide”

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Antagonists can be unexpected allies

While the traditional (and generally more reliable) approach is to emphasize a character’s positive and appealing qualities, the use of more sinister (and less personable) characters can also be effective—so long as they serve as a mechanism for emphasizing an eventual positive resolution.

Mortein’s Louie the Fly is an iconic figure in the Australian and New Zealand markets, highlighting that branding genius isn’t always found in friendly faces. Personifying the pest problem at hand has seen the villainous insect become an unmistakable cue—signaling that it could only be Mortein that saves the day when an insect infestation strikes. What’s more, the approach in putting a face to the wider problem-to-be-solved has seen Louie the Fly become not only brand-defining, but also category-defining—ensuring Mortein remains top of mind any time people are confronted with a pest problem.‍

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Consistency helps characters transcend the brand

Each and every year the wider British public eagerly anticipates the return of their favorite anthropomorphic vegetable, Kevin the Carrot. Now a fixture of the U.K. Christmas calendar, ALDI has built a familiar and recognizable asset in the enchanting carrot. Not only does this allow for quick and easy brand identification, but Kevin’s lovable nature helps strengthen emotional engagement and amplifies excitement and anticipation for each new installment. With Kevin’s popularity having reached the point where he even has his own fanbase (with people queueing outside stores just to get their hands on his plush toy), he’s helped ensure the grocer remains at the forefront of supermarket shoppers’ minds come the festive season.

Read more: 🇬🇧 ALDI "Ebanana Scrooge"‍

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Characters need to be given time to flourish

It’s only natural that people will take time to associate characters with brands—so, when Australian insurer Budget Direct suddenly replaced the clumsy yet endearing (but well-entrenched) Captain Risky with a new lead character, viewers had a difficult time understanding the completely unrelated character’s connection to the brand. In an advertisement more akin to a blockbuster movie premiere, “Insurance Solved’s” two-and-a-half-minute reveal of the suave and sleuth Detective Sarge represented a monumental shift from the fun and light-hearted approach of Budget Direct’s previous ambassador. The result was an ad that lacked synergy with people’s expectations of Budget Direct.

While marketing teams can sometimes tire of established characters or perceive them to be old-fashioned and uncool (opting instead to take a new and fresh direction), during these transitional periods it’s imperative that other structural devices work as hard as possible to trigger the brand.

While Detective Sarge has now had more time to “bed in” (and subsequently entrenched himself as an instantly recognizable branding property), the lack of subtle cues to trigger the brand during this transitional period resulted in significant confusion. Not only was the new lead unfamiliar, but so too was the creative style—with the cinematic spectacle a significant departure from the brand’s more typically frugal production values.

Read more: 🇦🇺 Budget Direct "Insurance Solved"‍

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Characters can cut-through no matter the context

Instacart’s 2025 Super Bowl spot provided a fascinating insight into the branding power of characters once firmly entrenched. While the ad wasn't directly for any of the individual brands featured throughout, people were nonetheless quick to identify the swathe of iconic characters featured.  From the Kool-Aid jug to Old Spice man-on-a-horse and even Mr. Clean, the ad showcased how established assets can easily trigger the brand even when presented in an entirely unfamiliar context. Safe in the knowledge that the brand will be at the forefront of people’s minds, the investment in a character instead frees up advertisers up to explore the vast array of creative possibilities at their disposal.

Read more: 🇺🇸 Super Bowl 2025‍

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Final Thoughts

‍Humans feel when they see other humans feeling, so one of the quickest ways to achieve advertising success is to develop stories that focus on a central protagonist people either love or love to hate. By making these characters feel warm and relatable brands can create an emotional bridge that leads to heightened engagement and stronger message recall. Equally, the use of antagonists can also be an effective way of bringing the audience onto the brand’s side—so long as the story is resolved in a positive and uplifting way.

However, this barely scratches the surface in unlocking the full transformative potential of characters. When brands develop distinctive and ownable characters—and then consistently deploy them over time—they work to fast-track branded memorability and ensure advertising delivers on its primary goal: building mental availability. While often criticized behind closed doors for stifling creativity, this couldn’t be further from the truth: the evidence (and our own experience) clearly shows that characters (and other repeatable devices) release the shackles and allow advertisers to develop even more creative and impactful work.

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