Characters Soar and Score at the Chutes Awards
Last year, System1, Gasp! Agency, The Marketing Meetup, and Tracksuit set out on a mission to celebrate marketing that truly works. From big brands to startups, outdoor media to TV, humorous ads to the downright shocking, we wanted to highlight campaigns that drive real business impact, the ones that make consumers feel something rather than nothing.
And so, the Chutes Awards were born, celebrating work that doesn’t just look good but delivers actual results. Using System1’s Test Your Ad Premium database of over 125,000 ads alongside Tracksuit’s brand tracking measures, we take an objective approach to recognising standout campaigns because, just like a parachute, marketing can’t be judged by appearance alone. Its real-world performance and impact matter most.
Data leads the way with consumer insight at the heart of every decision. There is only one way to enter the Chutes. Do work that works.
Striking the Right Balance
Our first three winners all have something in common. Regardless of category or channel, one key theme stood out among The Chutes’ leading campaigns: characters. From gnarly beavers to “hun culture” pink flamingos and a passionate potato farmer, each winner showcased the power of placing brand characters at the heart of their strategy.
This is what System1’s Orlando Wood defines as a right-brained approach, one that prioritises brand building over product. Right-brained creativity leans into characters and storytelling to capture attention and drive positive emotional engagement. It focuses on building brand equity and forging meaningful connections with audiences. Brand characters, in particular, drive significant business effects, especially when used consistently year after year and across multiple channels, as data from the IPA shows.
On the other hand, a left-brained approach is more short-term focused with a heavy emphasis on product and functional messaging. While both have their place in advertising and marketing, balancing The Long and the Short of It, there has been a growing skew toward the left-brained rational approach and a rapid decline in emotionally driven campaigns.
What our first three winners represent is a shift against this trend, a revival of brand building and character in categories where it is often overlooked. Whether in traditionally functional sectors like fashion, highly competitive industries like food retail, or digital spaces where rational messaging typically outweighs brand storytelling, these brands are proving that emotion still drives impact.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the brands and their ads that are making a real impact in the market.
How ‘Well Earned’ earned The Woodsman new energy
- Brand: The Woodsman Whisky
- Agency: Mr President
- Title: “Well Earned”
System1 Data: 4.8 Star Rating (long-term growth) / Exceptional Spike Rating (short-term sales potential) versus category average of 3.0 Stars.
The objective?
To attract a new audience of consumers and bring fresh energy to the category by positioning it as fun and sociable. Designed as a Scotch that behaves like a bourbon, Woodsman whisky was uniquely placed to stand apart. It offered something different to the category, appealing to a younger audience of drinkers who enjoy mixing their drinks.
Traditionally, the whisky category is known for adhering to familiar tropes, often leaning into a more formal tone rooted in heritage and seriousness. Woodsman set out to break that mould, injecting a sense of playfulness and modernity to resonate with a new generation. Enter Barry the Beaver: a rugged puppet character who, after a long day of gnawing trees and building dams, kicks back, relaxes, and enjoys a glass of The Woodsman whisky. Defying all category conventions, The Woodsman faced a polarising challenge: they had something new, creative, and completely distinctive within the whisky category, but would consumers respond with the positivity needed to drive long-term commercial growth?
The results?
On System1’s Test Your Ad platform, The Woodsman achieved an impressive 4.8-Star Rating and exceptional short-term sales potential, ranking it among the top five spirits ads of all time and the number one whisky ad in System1’s Premium database. This campaign’s success in testing translated directly to commercial impact, propelling The Woodsman into the Top 10 blended whisky brands and exceeding its 20% growth goal by an additional 15%. Driven by data, insight, a clear strategy, and emotional resonance, this campaign stands as a testament to a brand that is both market-oriented and unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Despite Barry’s “gnarly” appearance, he is a beloved character who resonates deeply with consumers. System1’s emotional FaceTrace© reveals that his presence evokes surprise and joy, leading to a notable increase in positivity. This positions the Woodsman perfectly to continue leveraging Barry in their communications. A distinctive and well-received brand character is truly one of the most valuable assets a brand can have!
Taking the obvious route is not always the most effective one. Discover how The Woodsman and Mr. President pitched their beavers to the board, challenged category norms, and tackled the obstacles facing the industry. Listen to the full episode of the Chutes podcast here.
How Ginsters made us all “Taste the Effort”
- Brand: Ginsters
- Agency: TBWA\London
- Title: “Taste the Effort”
System1 Data: 4.0 Star Rating (long-term growth) versus category average of 3.0 Stars.
The objective?
After speaking to consumers and uncovering how Ginsters was perceived, Emma Stowers experienced quite an awakening. Misconceptions about poor quality were creating a barrier for the brand, making it difficult to shift public perception. Ginsters set out to change this, aiming to showcase the quality and craft behind both their brand and their products.
This dedication to care and craftsmanship inspired the creation of Merryn, a devoted Ginsters potato farmer who became the heart of the campaign.
The results?
After pre-testing and refining a rough cut storyboard with System1, Ginsters achieved an impressive 4.0 Star Rating for their final cut. By leveraging humour and strong brand codes, they secured high brand recognition and cut through the category noise. Taking a bold and unconventional approach, Ginsters established a unique and distinctive identity to reinforce one simple message: great taste, great quality.
Merryn injects the brand with fun and has become a consistent part of its identity, and thankfully, she is here to stay. Ginsters aim to build a distinctive asset with Merryn, a smart strategy backed by System1’s The Magic of Compound Creativity. Data from the IPA shows that over five years, brand characters grow in effectiveness, increasing by an average +1.0 Star Rating.
But it is not just the brand that is pleased with the campaign’s success. Within the first 12 weeks, the campaign drove a significant uplift in value sales and added over 1.5 million households to the brand. Real consumers even called Ginsters after the ad aired to share how much they loved it, expressing their appreciation for the way it highlighted British farming.
Find out how you can apply these insights in the full episode here.
How Very made it “Sparkle” on TikTok
- Brand(s): Very.com & TikTok
- Agency: The Gate London
- Title: “Toys”
System1 Data: 5.0 Star Rating (long-term growth). Only 1.5% of digital ads achieve a 4-Star Rating or higher.
Tracksuit Data: Consideration increased from 30% to 34% from September 2024 to January 2025, whilst Usage rose from 18% to 22%.
The objective?
After launching a new brand platform at Christmas 2023, centred on joy and their distinctive brand world, Very.com set out to stand apart, like a flamingo in a flock of pigeons. In the highly competitive retail category, breaking through the sea of sameness was essential for the brand.
Very.com is deeply in touch with its consumers, and this campaign was specifically targeted at a segment they call their “early planners,” families looking to spread the cost of Christmas. Their October Toys campaign was designed with these shoppers in mind, ensuring alignment with the new platform while optimising for different channels.
At the heart of their strategy are their fluent device characters, a family of pink flamingos who feature across everything Very does, reinforcing their distinctive brand positioning. The goal was to reach key consumers in a consistent yet standout way, adapting the approach for maximum impact across different channels, in particular TikTok and social.
The results?
Very achieved a 5.0 Star Rating on System1’s Test Your Ad Digital among a core audience of TikTok users. The brand worked closely with The Gate London to design a world where they could maintain their animated brand characters while also introducing real products. This challenge was overcome with a blend of 2D and animation, a unique and creative approach that combines the brand’s distinctive identity with more short-term focused product messaging.
The team saw this success translate into real-world impact, with their highest levels of brand recall, particularly on paid social among their core parent target audience. There was an uplift in value for money and quality perceptions, as well as a shift in how Very was viewed as a toy retailer. The work the brand is doing across the funnel has paid off, with quarter-on-quarter uplifts in brand consideration, while driving 2.3% growth year-on-year at Christmas, outpacing the total market, and achieving a 7% year-on-year growth in toys.
If you want to learn more about how you too can make it sparkle, tune into the full episode here.