The Chutes Podcast

🪂 Welcome to The Chutes 🪂 The marketing awards for brands and agencies of all shapes and sizes where, uniquely, the work that works, is the work that wins. It’s time to announce the next winner of The Chutes awards which goes to… Very for ‘Let’s Make it Sparkle on TikTok’. Congratulations. And now, for an acceptance speech that’s a bit more acceptable, here’s Kat Delaney from Very and Charlotte Skornik from TikTok to explain exactly how they created the work that worked.The objectiveAfter 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 resultsVery 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.  

🪂 Welcome to The Chutes 🪂The marketing awards for brands and agencies of all shapes and sizes where, uniquely, the work that works, is the work that wins. Today we’re proud to announce the second winner of The Chutes is Ginsters with ‘Taste The Effort’. Congratulations to everyone involved, including the agency partners Truth, Kantar & TBWA. To hear more about how the work that worked was made, Emma Stower joined Joe Glover and Giles Edwards for a 25 minute masterclass. We hope you enjoy! 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 resultsAfter 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. 

🪂 Welcome to The Chutes 🪂The marketing awards for brands and agencies of all shapes and sizes where, uniquely, the work that works, is the work that wins.It’s time to announce the inaugural winner of The Chutes awards which goes to… The Woodsman Whisky & Mr President for ‘Well Earned’.And now, for an acceptance speech that’s a bit more acceptable, we're here with Jaimie Anderson from Whyte & Mackay and Lillie Price from Mr. President to explain exactly how they created the work that worked.The objectiveTo 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 resultsOn 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!  Extra resources:Write up: https://system1group.com/ad-of-the-week/barrels-beavers-brilliance-the-worlds-best-whisky-adSystem1 report: https://report.testyourad.com/report/23122294-7b86-474c-8c3c-9dff36db228dWatch the ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQPELZriAs0