The cheerful, hirsute face of the frozen food kingpins brand since 1967 has been relegated to a 'bit-part' in his namesake's reported £16 million revamp of their world famous fish finger brand. The captain is to be replaced by a young family, in a concerted effort by the brand and their parent company the 'Iglo Group' to help the product appeal to a younger generation, who might not have grown up with 'fish finger sandwiches' as a dietary staple.
The captain is to be replaced by a young family to help the brand appeal to a younger generation
The new initiative; 'The Food of Life', focuses on the role that frozen food plays in an average families life in the UK. The advert (which will begin rolling out today) plays on the cliché of the 'comedy dad' telling bad jokes to his kids and is part of a £60 million brand repositioning, and will be shown on British television and in cinemas across the country. It will be bolstered by a poster campaign and a digital marketing spend that has been trebled in a move Weston-Webb hopes to make Birds Eye “The most recognised and talked about brand in the digital space.” The digital campaign will focus on social networking and will also include adding 'click-to-purchase' features to their digital ads and QR codes to their packaging.
The captain is not the be completely eradicated from existence though, indeed the brand instead hopes that the captain will inhabit a different role in their branding going forward. They believe that the new campaign marks a “New era for the captain,” and that his role in said campaign will be revealed “Later in the year.” The captain was portrayed most famously by John Hewer until 1998 and was known for his catchphrase; “Only the best for the captain's table.”
The captain is the second mascot in just under a week to be shelved
These changes are only the latest in a series, and the captain is the second mascot in just under a week to be shelved, with the Willem Dafoe voiced polar bear 'Clarence', also being severed from all the latest Birds Eye marketing materials. Clarence was first introduced back in 2010 and served as the brand de-facto mascot in the captain's absence. Managing director of Birds Eye Iglo Uk & Ireland Andy Weston-Webb, believed that although the leather lunged polar bear had “Done a good job”, the company was looking ahead now with “Much more ambition.”
As well as the new brand focus, Birds Eye are looking at launching a product for adult diners and couples in the coming weeks and is planning on a complete packaging overhaul by year's end.
The official Bird's Eye Website
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance copywriter from Kidderminster who honestly believes that the Captain is as important to Bird's Eye as Mickey Mouse is to Disney.
