Image by: OKButton
Using animals is one of the advertising industry’s favourite tactics. There is no denying the fact that cute and furry sells, or that animals with human characteristics make us laugh. A number of well-known brands have come to be defined by their animal stars, which have become just as famous as their human counterparts. But who are the five biggest animal stars in advertising? It’s time to roll out the red carpet….
1) The Andrex Puppies
Andrex is a brand that has determinedly gone for the cute factor. Whilst toilet paper is, to be frank, not the most exciting or glamorous product on the market, it is certainly made more appealing when it is accompanied by a litter of puppies.
The puppy made its debut as the brand’s mascot back in 1972 and it’s still going strong. In recent years the Andrex puppies have even become animated and started indulging in human activities such as having an apartment and buying each other flowers. Wherever the Andrex brand heads in the future it is clear that the puppies will be going with it.
2) Aleksandr and Sergei
Compare the Market’s Meer Kat double act are a surprise success. Whilst initially the duo seemed rather irritating, the persistency of the advertising campaign has slowly worn down our defences. The meerkats have been regularly entering our living rooms for what feels like such a long time, that they have become like annoying family members that you like regardless of their eccentricities.
In all fairness, the adverts do contain the occasional moments of comedy brilliance, and the pun ‘Compare the Meer Kat’ does pop into your head as soon as you think about insurance. Clearly a company that knows what it’s doing.
3) The Dancing Pony
Three’s dancing pony sums up a current trend in modern advertising, with the line ‘Silly stuff. It matters’. Whilst the advert has nothing to do with Three or the services it provides, the advert, and Three hopes the brand, does stick in your mind.
They can be said to have been right on the money, given that the chubby little pony quickly moonwalked his way to the top of the viral chart, as well as getting around 2.7 million YouTube views. Although it remains to be seen whether the adverts will increase Three’s profits in the long-term, the dancing pony has associated the brand with a lot of good feeling, and positivity.
The advert never fails to raise a smile, and the little pony has certainly secured his place in advertising history.
4) Churchill
Few can resist this wisecracking English bulldog, and his Northern twang. The nodding dog has starred in the insurance companies DRTV adverts for over twelve years, and has become the defining feature of the brand. With his own catch phrase, ‘Oh yes!’, and having starred alongside British comedy greats such as Dawn French, this Bulldog has hit the big time.
Churchill Insurance has cleverly used a quintessentially British character to advertise its British brand.
5) Dulux Dog
Like Churchill, Dulux has cleverly used a classically British animal the Old English Sheep Dog, to represent their British brand. Dulux has used the brand-defining dog for over 50 years, making it an extremely elderly animal star. Like many brands that use animals as the focal point of their brand identity, it is impossible to imagine one without the other.
The success of animal advertising stars is likely to continue, particularly as animation becomes increasingly complex and affordable. Human celebrities watch out!
Bio: Louise Blake owns a Boxer puppy called Harley, and enjoys watching TV and films. She writes on all topics entertainment related for Space City.
