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Although animals are surefire attention-getters when it comes to the branding process, they're very tricky in terms of ultimate effectiveness. Why, for instance, did the Taco Bell Chihuahua fail to boost declining sales, yet the Geico Gecko and the AFLAC duck have helped raise audience awareness of their respective brands? Can an animal in advertising work too well?
In terms of merchandising, the Taco Bell Chihuahua is probably bested only by the Energizer Bunny. From t-shirts to toys, these two icons may perform better as products unto themselves than as boosters of a brand. After all, didn't we see more Chihuahua than chalupa? And, I know that rabbit, but which battery does it belong to?
The success of animals as brand shepherds may also be a function of their primary purpose. One big hurdle in the branding game is name recognition. So we have "Geico" and "gecko" ... "AFLAC" and "quack."
Maybe a Chihuahua is cute in some fashion, and maybe the dog will get the customer to bite ... but animals have no inherent magical power to get your brand where you want it to go. Before we start playing Dr. Doolittle, we need to think hard about whether Fido will carry your brand to new heights ... or bury it in the backyard. |
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