How Far Can You Stretch Your Character Fluent Device?
This Christmas season, we’re seeing the return of some iconic character fluent devices—Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot, TK Maxx’s fashionista Goat, Argos’s quirky duo Connie and Trevor, and Dawn French as the Marks & Spencer Fairy. These familiar faces not only bring a touch of festive cheer but also highlight just how effective these characters are in driving emotional connection, brand distinctiveness, and recognition in advertising.
System1’s Chief Innovation Officer, Orlando Wood, explores the commercial impact of character fluent devices in his books Lemon and Look out. Through analysis of the IPA Databank, he uncovered how powerful these brand-owned characters can be: they consistently drive greater business effects compared to “hired devices” (aka celebrity endorsements). In fact, brand-owned characters were shown to be nearly twice as effective in driving market share growth and delivered an average uplift of 10% in profit gains.
But just how far can you stretch a character fluent device?
With the advertising success of a fluent device, it’s no surprise that brands want to stretch these characters into every corner of their marketing strategy. Beyond TV screens, we’re now seeing these icons seamlessly integrated into our daily lives through plush toys, Christmas ornaments, and other merchandise that bring familiar characters from screen to home.
Sometimes, even the products themselves become “fluent devices,” instantly recognisable and synonymous with the brand. Take Marks & Spencer, for instance—Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar have become household names and cultural staples. It’s practically a tradition in the UK: no birthday celebration is complete without a Colin cake! The affection for Colin and Percy is so deep that the demand for Colin cakes is sky-high—so high, in fact, that nearly every UK supermarket has attempted their own version. (And please, let’s not even discuss the state of Clyde!)
Marks & Spencer, however, has had to work hard to defend the distinctiveness of Colin the Caterpillar. The rivalry came to a head in a high-profile legal battle—Colin vs. Cuthbert—that made national headlines. While the trial provided endless amusement on social media, sparking Twitter debates and cheeky Aldi campaigns, it underscored something essential: Colin is a character that Marks & Spencer has been nurturing since 1990. Whatever side of the debate you were on, this episode highlighted the importance and value of brand characters that have been carefully cultivated over decades.
And for a bit of light-hearted nostalgia, here are some of my favourite moments from trial of Cuthbert:
Let’s cut the caterpillar…I mean, cut to the chase!
I’m highlighting the significance of the fluent device because Marks & Spencer has recently launched a glass Colin the Caterpillar ornament—a delightful addition for any festive tree! With Christmas (nearly) upon us, we thought it was the perfect time to put this quirky decoration to the test. Given the trend for unconventional ornaments (I proudly display my glittery pickle each year), this is a clever move by Marks & Spencer to transform their beloved cake into a unique holiday decoration.
To evaluate its potential, we put the Colin ornament through our Test Your Innovation platform, which harnesses the predictive power of consumer emotions to assess in-market sales potential. Using a rating scale of 1.0 to 5.9 Stars, Test Your Innovation quantifies emotional responses, allowing for straightforward benchmarking of product ideas, taglines, slogans, and other concepts. If it can fit in a JPEG, it can be tested! Here’s what we assessed:
- Emotional Pull: Using our FaceTrace® tool, we measured emotional resonance to gauge how effectively the ornament connects with consumers on a personal level.
- Share Trading: We assessed consumers’ willingness to “buy” or “sell” the idea, offering valuable insights into their purchasing behaviors and preferences.
- Decision Speed: Measuring how quickly and intuitively consumers engage with the ornament idea—fast reactions are positively weighted, while slower reactions are penalized—this provides a nuanced view of consumer enthusiasm and instinctive engagement.
So, without further ado, let’s find out: will the Colin Ornament flutter its way off the shelves or remain a wingless pud for eternity?
Letting the cat-erpillar out of the bag!
Great news—decorative Colin the Caterpillar was the most loved fluent device ornament in our test lineup (we even threw in Lidl Bear for a little competition)! Consumers couldn’t get enough of Colin’s “cute” charm—though one brave soul did call his adorable face “repelling.” Some fans even questioned, in all caps, “WHAT WOULD XMAS BE LIKE WITHOUT COLIN?” Colin the Christmas Caterpillar… watch your back, Santa!
Among the highlights, many described decorative Colin as a “collectable,” with some even suggesting he’d look fabulous as earrings. Who knows, we might just see Colin gracing the cover of Vogue one day! Overall, the response was overwhelmingly positive, with consumers agreeing that the ornament was “distinctive” and memorable. Kudos to Marks & Spencer for expertly positioning Colin and proving once again that they know how to make a character fluent device sing.
So, as you head to the shops this Christmas, don’t forget to swing by the M&S holiday aisle—this one’s sure to butter-fly off the shelves!
Create with Confidence
With a database of over 54,000 innovations to benchmark against, Test Your Innovation empowers brands to Create with Confidence and launch new innovations. So, which idea (or insect themed ornament) will be your next star? Use Test Your Innovation to predict your winner from an early stage and finetune it throughout the innovation process. We can’t wait to help you bring it to market!
