Fluent Device - a brand-owned character that carries the drama across more than one ad
PrincipleBrand & Creativity
Fluent Device - a brand-owned character that carries the drama across more than one ad
A Fluent Device is a fictitious character or characters, human or creature, created by the brand and used as the primary vehicle for the drama in more than one ad across a campaign. Two conditions matter: the brand owns it, and it carries the story rather than decorating it.
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 16, System1 Fluent Devices case study (2019)
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StatCampaigns 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 automaticStatAlmost no advertising uses a brand character, which is exactly why it still worksStatThe 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