Connecting with (a) Character
For brands and services looking to connect with people there’s a lot to be said for creating - quite literally - character. It’s only human to see and to want to see the world through the eyes of another, and never least of all so when that world is new or different or strange to us in the moment. Like children, we seek assurances and guardianship in unfamiliar situations. And as adults we continue that quest, but as less of a need and more of a fundamental enjoyment of storytelling.
At Picture Window we have very great friends at a fabulous character costume and mascot company, Frenzy Creative. The talented creatives at Frenzy know how much value brands and organisations across all sectors place in having characterful representatives of themselves - characters people (of all ages) can make a connection with. Characters allow brands and services to move and exist in our physical space - to interact with us on powerfully primeval terms: especially useful when a product or service is physically intangible itself. But characters can also be the narrators, the carriers, of a brand or a product’s story - not just the mascot, but also the eyes and the ears and the voice.
Whilst designing the brand identity for a new research, strategy and innovation consultancy, we worked hand-in-hand with the client to create real character - more precisely a character we’ve called Scratty the Crow. And we did so knowing that to invest time and talent in what is essentially character development, is to provide both the brand and its audience with the opportunity to connect using personality and narrative; to bring services to life by aligning them to something - someone - who feels and reacts.
Does your business, product, brand or service enjoy that simple and powerful way to communicate with your audience? Do you have the engaging properties - the storytelling assets - that give you a voice in the new media of blogs and tweets and frequent interactions? Speak to Steve at Picture Window, and let’s understand together how your business can connect with character.
... and here's a parade of personalities from the great folk at Frenzy Creative:
