Almost no advertising uses a brand character, which is exactly why it still works
StatBrand & Creativity
Fewer than one ad in ten uses a character Fluent Device. In the UK it is 7% of ads, in the US 4%. A mechanism with measured long-term advantage is sitting almost entirely unused.
Source
Fluent Devices Case Study - Creativity & Effectiveness: Developing creative best practice for long-term growth in a multi-platform world (System1 Group) (2019)
System1 Group; Fluent Devices research led by Orlando Wood, IPA Databank effects measured with Peter Field
Slide 22, System1, all Automotive, Financial, FMCG/CPG, Health & Beauty, Tech and Charity advertising, 2017-2018
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PrincipleFluent Device - a brand-owned character that carries the drama across more than one adStatCampaigns with a brand character are more likely to deliver very large long-term effectsStatA brand character raises the odds of very large market share and profit effects by roughly a thirdWarningBrand characters do not buy you pricing powerStatBrand characters shift the whole distribution of emotional response upwardPrincipleA recurring character makes correct brand attribution close to automaticStatThe use of brand characters in award-winning long-term campaigns has collapsed since 1992WarningThe pursuit of relevance may be what killed the brand characterStatBrands leave their own character on television instead of using it where the impressions areCaseBritish Gas and Wilbur the Penguin in a single static press adPrincipleFame, Feeling and Fluency - the three things advertising has to producePrincipleEmotional response acts as a multiplier on share of voice, not an alternative to it