I am all for the idea of using a soft toy as an advertising tool. Indeed, I am a proud owner of not only at least 4 supposedly Russian meerkats and a vintage “Flat Eric” (I'm really showing my age here), but even a couple of those admittedly creepy Birdseye polar bears. Granted the lion's share of these plush toys were free gifts or presents from friends and relatives who were aware of my affinity for all things soft and fluffy (feel free to take that in whichever way you fancy), but there's a literal physicality about fluffy mascots that inspires brand loyalty. The fact that my mother refuses to buy her insurance from anywhere but Compare The Market should speak volumes of their power.
The PG Tips Monkey has fallen out of the spotlight in recent years though, which is a shame. I always thought the mascot was a rather genius way of bridging the brand's chequered advertising history (I won't go into the controversy behind the original PG Tips monkey ads here, but there's a rather well written BBC article on the subject HERE if you're so inclined) with its more savvy modern identity. So I was thrilled when I saw the new batch of ads from Mother London starring everyone's favourite knitted monkey (sans comic foil Johnny Vegas). The ads are part of an ambitious £5 million ATL campaign, which will run across OOH, VOD advertising and social media, to support the recent revamp of the brand’s entire range.
PG Tips have brought back the popular knitted monkey for an ambitious new £5 million ATL campaign from Mother London
With the tagline “Keep It Tea,” the campaign aims to remind consumers of the continued cultural relevance (in the UK at least) of the iconic hot beverage, and its power to keep them grounded in a world run rampant with fakery and superficiality. The creative advertising will see Monkey (one word, like Madonna, or Gandhi) unleashed from the kitchen into the real world, providing commentary on some of the more extreme elements of popular culture whilst encouraging consumers to “Keep It Tea.” So we see our cuddly hero sporting a rather fetching 'vajazzle' (the fact that Word didn't automatically underline that word genuinely worries me), and complaining about asinine reality TV, pretentious tea alternatives, and frilly food. It's a snappy, humorous idea with a potentially iconic catchphrase and I love it.
What I really like about it, is that the brand are breaking category norms with four 10 second TV adverts to promote the campaign, moving away from the standard 20 to 30 second format. For my money, the shorter runtime means the spots hit harder and are more memorable. The TV spots, airing between September until November, have been designed to create maximum disruption and standout and drive penetration amongst a younger audience. It's all in aid of the huge revamp PG Tips lent its entire range back in June with a brand new pack design, the biggest milestone from the brand since it introduced its superior pyramid teabags in 1996. The new packaging has been overhauled to give the brand greater standout on shelf, reaffirm its authority within the category, and drive sales amongst new and existing shoppers.
With the tagline “Keep It Tea,” the campaign aims to remind consumers of the continued cultural relevance of the iconic hot beverage
Kate Hearn, Senior Brand Manager for PG tips at Unilever UK, said of the campaign: “Through our Keep It Tea campaign and new packaging, we are making PG tips more relevant to shoppers, especially younger people, and helping the nation rediscover their love of tea. By making black tea more appealing to today’s consumer, we will be supporting not only PG tips but the category as a whole.” So it would seem the idea is to use the monkey as a means to reaching a younger audience, but I'm 29 and I can't get enough of the charming blighter. What about you guys? Do you think it's about time PG Tips abandoned the monkey altogether? Or would it just not be PG Tips without some sort of simian symbol? Sound off below.
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK who will get through at least 5 cups of tea on an average work day.
