WHSmith’s online retailer arm unveils Funky & The Funkettes rebrand
Online greeting card and gift retailer Funkypigeon has upped its game on the advertising front with a new starter in the shape of Funky & The Funkettes.
The rebrand, which can be seen in the video below, for WHSmith’s web-based retail arm was unveiled last week by creative agency VCCP London and features its mascot Funky in her latest guise as a lead singer supported by her backing band of Dexter, Marvin and Trafalgar.
The Give A Funk campaign “aims to galvanise the nation into more personalised card and gift buying with the help of Funkypigeon” according to VCCP.
Explaining the rationale behind the campaign, Funkypigeon’s head of brand Louise Marshall said: “We believe in celebrating the unique connections that make life special. Our Give A Funk campaign is a rallying cry to embrace genuine, heartfelt gifting that goes beyond obligation. We invite everyone to Give A Funk with the help of Funky Pigeon.”
And the brand’s social media accounts have been pushing Funky and the group with all the funky tunes and smooth moves, delivering the important messages with heart and soul, while also looking back at previous incarnations of the mascot, that can be seen in the video below.
There are full back stories to each character, with Trafalgar named after his place of conception, he writes all the hits and is always ready to right your card and gift wrongs. He’s Funky’s cousin, like Marvin whose tagline says he’ll “make sure you ditch buying soulless cards and gifts for your flock” while her younger brother Dexter wants to find the perfect cards and gifts.
Number one pigeon Funky is described as “a true sho(wo)man who’s full of heart, soul and sass” with the mission of “helping the masses to start giving a funk about the cards and gifts they give their loved ones”.
VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl & Bear worked with renowned animation director Tim Hope and Passion Pictures on the 30second film at the heart of the campaign which captures a humorous moment in a petrol station, where Funky’s infectious spirit transforms what the agency termed “a mundane, thoughtless card selection” into a heartfelt gesture.
Featuring animated sequences and lively music, the film encourages viewers to “put some heart and soul” into their card and gift choices – although there have already been comments from indie retailers not amused at the implication that customers at bricks-and-mortar stores don’t put thought into their sends.
