What the recent Peppa Pig campaign suggests about the future of brand ambassadors

You’d have struggled to avoid the ‘Mummy Pig’ pregnancy news this weekend following the huge announcement on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain.

Anyone would think another royal baby had been confirmed, with the world already guessing names, gender – and shirt colour.

While some branded it ‘silly’, for the majority it bought a smile and much needed ‘light news’ in the midst of dark headlines.

And those of us in the PR world see it as a simply great activation (from Pretty Green, for Hasbro). Well executed, unexpected and succeeding average coverage expectations with broadcast, print and online.

As a parent of a huge Peppa Pig fan, I was thoroughly entertained by the news, but didn’t quite realise how even those who don’t have to sit through episode after episode of muddy puddles and dinosaurs were also invested.

The success of this campaign in just a handful of days got me thinking how perhaps brands and PR agencies are better off going down the fictional character route when thinking of spokespeople and ambassadors.

It follows 72Point’s biggest campaign of last year – if not, ever – ‘What’s Occur-inn’. Timed perfectly ahead of the hotly anticipated Gavin and Stacey finale, we worked with our client, Premier Inn, to have a Nessa lookalike (aptly named Knock Off Nessa) to officially rename the chain’s Barry Island hotel.  

Nessa is recognisable to the majority of the country, whether a fan of the show or not, and it was lapped up. A fictional phrase, from a fictional character. It was discussed by Ruth Jones herself, alongside James Corden on The Graham Norton Show – setting the bar for all our future work.

Another memorable campaign, launched late last year, was ASICS (Golin) mental health ad, teaming up with Brian Cox. Although not directly referred to as his Succession alter ego, Logan Roy, he was known as ‘the world’s scariest boss’ throughout the campaign, showing a clear link to his well-known character.

And Mummy Pig wasn’t the only character in last week’s PR campaigns, Bisto launched its partnership with Wallace and Gromit (Splendid Communications), with none other than a gravy boat style floating restaurant, referencing the final chase scene in the recent film, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.    

Brands teaming up with well-known fictional characters, or establishing their image via a persona – think the Churchill dog, Andrex Puppy, Duolingo owl, to name a few - is nothing new.

But what does the success of these recent campaigns show? Influencers have no doubt become the go-to for partnerships, alongside an ever-growing portfolio of TV presenters, retired sports stars, 90s pop stars and of course ‘nepo babies’. Are audiences now preferring the breath of fresh air from fictional characters instead?

Such personalities are fun, don’t take themselves seriously, make people laugh and emit feelings of nostalgia. In comparison, people might see a collaboration with a reality star, for example, as a pay cheque, rather than authentic.

I’m all for teaming up with real people, as well as fictional, but consider what the natural link is between them and the brand you’re trying to promote.

I can recall briefs we’ve received which name a talent already on board, but there is no genuine link to the brand – whether it’s targeting families, but the celeb doesn’t have children, or simply picking a popular name out of a hat and wanting them to promote something as random as frozen food to car insurance.

Another thing to consider when choosing who to collaborate with – how many other brands are also pitching to work with them, will they be in an ad for a supermarket one week, and a sporting brand the next? Viewers will get fed up of seeing the same faces in various campaigns. Think outside the box.

These campaigns have definitely encouraged me to think differently when brainstorming for brands who want to put a face or name to their campaign.

If Elmo is good enough for a date with Amelia Dimoldenberg, Miffy is good enough for Mulberry and a cartoon pig ‘live from Peppatown’ is securing prime screentime, perhaps it’s the way forward…