In a recent unveiling, Very has introduced its new brand platform, ‘Let’s Make It Sparkle’, through a Christmas campaign that infuses the digital retail experience with joy and humor. This initiative reimagines the digital retailer and its customers as exuberant, pink flamingos, inspiring a transformation of mundane daily experiences into delightful moments.
The campaign, crafted by The Gate, breathes life into Very’s refreshed brand strategy, encapsulated by the motto ‘there’s good, and there’s Very good’. Premiering on Wednesday, 1 November 2023, the Christmas television advertisement begins with a monochrome cityscape where both grey pigeons and pink flamingos are engaged in the routine of Christmas shopping. This commonplace scene is set for a whimsical overhaul.
For the first time, the advertisement introduces the audience to Very’s new brand mascots—three fun-loving flamingos named Kerry, Terry, and Cherry. As a remixed rendition of Girls Aloud’s ‘Merry Christmas, Everybody’ plays, pink thunderclouds gather, signaling a transformation. The pigeons watch in wonder as a team of pink delivery flamingos, bearing Very parcels, glide in. The delivery culminates in Kerry, Terry, and Cherry’s homes bursting into plumes of enchanting pink glitter.
Audience research indicates that Very’s clientele possesses a distinctive outlook on life. Despite challenges and uncertainties, they strive to enhance their lives with ingenuity, individuality, and creativity, aiming to make life more vibrant for themselves and their loved ones. They embrace a bold and unabashed ethos of maximizing life’s potential.
The ‘Let’s Make It Sparkle’ campaign aligns with the Very customer ethos, celebrating their vibrancy, zest, and penchant for glamour. Rooted in consumer insights, this new brand platform is engineered for both immediate impact and sustained success. Post their Christmas advertisement debut, the charismatic flamingos are set to continue infusing the brand with personality and excitement, fostering brand affection and recognition.
In collaboration with System1 Group, Very tested the campaign’s creative elements against the consultancy’s principles of fame, feeling, and fluency. System1’s findings highlighted that the campaign surpassed industry standards, resonating deeply and forging an emotional bond with Very’s family-oriented demographic, thus enhancing brand recognition.
The Gate was appointed as Very’s primary creative agency in June 2023, selected for its profound consumer insights, strategic acumen, and unique creative vision. The resulting brand proposition unifies Very’s diverse digital retail offerings and flexible payment options into a cohesive platform, set to energize the entire marketing ecosystem.
The Christmas campaign is slated for a nationwide rollout, encompassing television, cinema, video on demand (VOD), out-of-home (OOH), digital, and social media channels. Nexus Studios, under the direction of Paloma Baeza, crafted the animation and character designs, while Dentsu managed media planning and buying.
Jessica Myers, Very’s Chief Marketing Officer, remarked, “We know Very customers are as imaginative and enthusiastic about everyday moments as they are about Christmas, and we want to celebrate and enable that sense of joy and fun all year round as part of our commitment to our purpose; helping families get more out of life. ‘Let’s Make It Sparkle’ brings that spirit to life brilliantly, and we’re so excited for the opportunities this new creative platform will open up in 2024 and beyond.”
Lucas Peon, Chief Creative Officer at The Gate, expressed his enthusiasm: “It’s been brilliant to see the platform and script we pitched with brought to life over the past few months, and to finally introduce our feathery friends to the world. We’re excited to see the magic unfold.”
This campaign represents a strategic move by Very to not only captivate its audience during the festive season but to maintain that engagement throughout the coming year, promising a sparkling future for the digital retail landscape.
