Spokescharacters are one of the oldest weapons in advertising’s arsenal as they add personality and emotional appeal to a product or brand. A spokescharacter can also symbolize the brand’s key attributes or benefits and has the power of becoming a household name. But what makes a spokescharacter a superstar?
E-Score Character has an extremely budget-friendly and diverse database of corporate characters from classics like the Pillsbury Doughboy to Progressive’s Flo and Jamie. We have identified the four strongest-performing attributes in the corporate character category: Approachable, Cool, Funny, and Unique. These along with 33 others and key brand recall measures make this an invaluable tool for our clients.
Approachable/Unique – Personification
One of the basic functions of a spokescharacter is to personify a brand and make it more relatable. Approachable and Unique are key and below is a list of the top spokescharacters in these two attributes. For a full list, click through to our blog.
- Jan, the Toyota spokescharacter since 2012, leads all other corporate characters in Approachable and is the only one from an auto company.
- The Budweiser Clydesdales are not only the top scoring Unique corporate characters but are also amongst the oldest, debuting in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition.
- Annie, from Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, is one of the most approachable characters and has been credited with helping define the identity for the brand.
Funny/Cool – Differentiators
Funny and Cool are the other two top-performing attributes appealing to all demographics E-Score Character has identified among corporate characters. Since they are not commonly used to describe corporations or brands, these attributes bring personality to a brand and help distinguish it from competitors. To see an extended list, click though to our blog.
- M&M’s are a perfect example of how spokescharacters can turn a brand around. The top-ranked Funny ensemble helped revive the chocolate brand in the mid 1990’s, turning it into one of America’s favorite candies.
- The slick-talking, sun glasses-wearing Chester Cheetah tops the Cool list among corporate characters, even dropping a hip-hop diss-track about rival Doritos.
- Old Spice’s The Man Your Man Could Smell Like scores among the most Funny and is above average in Would Like to See More. The character is so successful, he was used in a Hulu ad disguised as an Old Spice ad promoting Hulu’s service with no ads.
Want to See More – Future Interest
Want to See More measures future interest in the character, as well as potential for opportunities in merchandise, entertainment and collaborations with other brands (E-Score Character’s Extendibility feature measures these opportunities in granular detail). Below is a list of the top Would Like to See More corporate characters among those who scored highly in our top four attributes.
- Uncle Drew, played by NBA star Kyrie Irving, ranks among the top Would Like to See More. The character was so popular, it inspired the 2018 film by the same name featuring the character.
- AT&T spokescharacter Lily recently returned to the brand’s commercials after a three-year absence. Executives cited consumer requests as a reason for bringing the character back, and her Would Like to See More score of 25 indicates strong demand.
- Professor Burke from Farmers Insurance (played by J.K. Simmons) scores a 25 in Would Like to See More but due to the COVD-19 pandemic, it is his familiar voice that audiences hear instead as he narrated their recent COVID-19 ad.
Spokescharacters are great ways for brands to stay relevant to consumers. E-Score Character will show you if your spokescharacter is on track for success, or help you identify the right spokescharacter to see if it has the potential to cross over into other promotional areas.
Resources
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