Peperami brings back ‘Animal’ brand mascot after decade-long hiatus

Peperami joins the likes of Branston and Tango in resurrecting an old brand asset.

Peperami is bringing back its ‘Animal’ mascot for the first time in 10 years. Source: Peperami

Peperami’s brand mascot, ‘Animal’ is returning to TV screens after a 10-year  hiatus as the snack brand looks to tap into nostalgia and make the brand relevant for consumers in 2024.

The TV and digital campaign features the character causing chaos during a “tedious” virtual meeting.

Bringing back the mascot marks a “bold step forward” for Peperami, says Emily Prince, head of brand.

It is building on the brand’s “heritage”, she says, while reaffirming its “commitment to providing delicious and satisfying snacks for today’s busy adults”. Peperami worked with new agency Fearless Union on the ad.

Everything old is new again: Why are brands resurrecting old assets?Peperami joins a slew of brands returning to their roots in bringing back old brand assets. Last year, Morrisons, Tango and Branston all brought back slogans and assets from their past, claiming they still resonate with consumers.

Peperami is joining them in this claim, citing research that found 81% of UK adults still remember ‘Animal’.

Marketers are often accused of getting tired of ads before consumers have had the time to.

Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson shared six lessons marketers should adhere to when considering moving away from a successful brand asset, suggesting wear-out “really does not exist”, citing data from Kantar, System1 and Analytic Partners.

“The problem of wear-out is one of the marketer, not the market,” he said.

The Agenda 2024: Consistency is key

According to data from Kantar, ongoing campaigns score among the top 20% of all UK ads for effectiveness. When compared to new ads – featuring no continuity except for branding – these ongoing ads are “much more effective on average in both the short-term and the long-term,” according to Lynne Deason, head of creative excellence for Kantar UK.

Meanwhile, Kerttu Inkeroinen, marketing and ecommerce director at Lucky Saint has talked about the importance of consistency. “As marketers, we can easily get trapped in the echo chamber of the marketing world, and feel like everybody’s seen your campaign already and you need to produce something new,” she told Marketing Week last year.

Recommended