Meaty snack brand Peperami recently bought back its iconic ‘Animal’ character, nearly a decade since it last graced the nation’s television screens.
It was a bold move from the brand, which made the decision on the back of research which revealed that – despite its decade-long absence from TV screens – ‘Animal’ still held a place in the modern world and is embedded in the memories of 81% of UK adults.
The current campaign, created by Fearless Union, takes the viewer to a virtual world where the anarchic ‘Animal’ is surrounded by floating pie charts and digital screens. It’s a surreal film, calling on consumers to ‘satisfy your animal’, but also moves the character on from its 90s heyday.
Fearless Union strategy director David Craft explains how the agency built on that brand heritage and reinvented an old classic for the modern era.
He was loud. He was brash. He got in your face and he pulled off his own arms. He was more than a bit of an animal, but he was also a British icon. So when Peperami asked us to help them reclaim their brand fame and build growth for the future, the return of the infamous Animal was always the right solution.
But first, more questions
Unfortunately, nostalgia alone isn’t enough to reintroduce a character from a bygone era. The last 30 years has seen a seismic shift in our society. The heroes of then are often the villains of now, and we couldn’t let Animal fall into that trap. He was born into and out of an era defined by loud, boorish and brash behaviour, and what once was funny is now fundamentally offensive.
There was also another, more practical problem. In recent years the brand has built a wider, more inclusive range with non-pork (and non-stick) products, but how could we use an anthropomorphic pork stick to promote chicken bites and pizza buns?
The Bond approach to Peperami
Animal’s transformation required a delicate balancing act: holding onto his essence whilst ensuring his antics resonated with contemporary consumers. The stakes were high. Straying too far from Animal’s original persona would betray his much-loved character, weakening his fluency, while failure to evolve the Peperami brand would make him irrelevant at best, offensive at worst.
But this was a challenge that one of the most iconic film franchises had managed to overcome almost effortlessly over a sixty year span. From Connery to Craig, James Bond has been constantly and consistently reborn, bringing the character to life for new generations of fans. Each Bond was different, but every Bond was James. The trick was in the character. He was established, carefully crafted with core consistencies. The articulation evolved, but the essence remained.
We took these learnings and applied them to Animal, meticulously analysing his old Peperami ads and outlining his core traits to develop an extensive character profile complete with a guidebook that served as a guardrail for creative teams through every stage of concept development.
Redefining the role
We knew we couldn’t just bring Animal back for the sake of it. He needed a purpose, but not the kind that seeks to shift society in the name of progress. For the embodiment of a six-inch sausage snack, a higher purpose seemed highly ridiculous.
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On top of that, Peperami has never been a political brand and we didn’t want to become polarising, so Animal’s purpose had to be purely practical and based on insight.
Peperami’s target audience is defined by its busyness. The truth is when we’re busy things feel out of control, so we compromise – and when we compromise we’re never truly satisfied. So Animal is hellbent on helping busy consumers who tend to sacrifice satisfaction when it comes to snack time.
Right place, right time
But then there was the question of where does Animal show up? In his heyday there was no rhyme or reason to where you’d find him. He seemed to pop up whenever and wherever. But Animal’s new reason to exist also gives a rationale to where he exists.
He is on a mission to help busy snackers find satisfaction (in the form of Peperami), so he owns the moment where satisfaction is in peril, the moment when people aren’t taking the time to consider what it is that will really satisfy them.
We cleared a space for that to happen and made it Animal’s domain. A safe snack space that’s free from the pressure and busyness of the real world, and completely ownable for Peperami.
Back to the good old days
The truth is, we operate in an increasingly complex world of advertising where channel proliferation continues to accelerate and attention spans are dwindling. Consumer behaviour and culture has moved on, but the fundamental elements of brand building remain the same. They’re tried and tested. They’re timeless.
Our mission to use Animal’s fame and fluency required an extensive exercise in character development, both strategically and creatively, so it goes without saying that this isn’t the brand equivalent of a get-rich-quick scheme. It’s the application of simple brand strategy and audience understanding.
While growth is always an objective, future-proofing the brand for long-term success was at the heart of Animal’s return.
