Hired vs. Fluent Devices: The Battle for Brand Attention

In the world of advertising, many brands are getting a helping hand from a recognizable face or what the industry has grown to call a fluent device. Fluent devices are characters, slogans, jingles and songs used so that they are recognised immediately by the viewer, making recognition faster and delivering positive emotion more quickly. Think Jet 2 and Jess Glynne (I assume you are all singing Hold my hand in your head now like me) or the Go Compare Opera Signer. These are creative vehicles used to build long-term brand recognition.

On the other hand, Celebrity endorsements have long been a staple of the industry, with famous figures lending their charm and influence to products and services. George Clooney to David Beckham for Nespresso Coffee, Robert De’Niro to Samuel L. Jackson for Warburton Bread. The biggest stars in Hollywood, Entertainment and Sport all have their own lucrative deals that complement brands and delight audiences. While these celebrity audiences are instantly recognisable and come with a pool of fans, they come at a big financial cost and sometimes can detract from the brand being able to stand on its own 2 feet.

The appeal of celebrities in advertising is clear—they grab attention, build trust, and create memorability. However, there are risks. Celebrity endorsements have backfired in numerous cases, with stars like Kanye West, Tiger Woods, and Johnny Depp losing lucrative deals due to personal controversies. Furthermore, celebrity brand promiscuity is a common issue, with many stars endorsing multiple brands simultaneously, sometimes even switching to a competitor after a deal ends.

While fluent devices can take more time to develop, having to stem from a creative idea and build a lasting memory with the audience, if done well, they allow a brand to have full creative direction on how their fluent device acts and behaves - something which can be tricky for brands pinning their hopes on famous faces.

One of the best examples of a fluent device from the last fifteen years is Compare The Market’s Alexandr Orlov, the meerkat, who has graduated from being a fluent device to a fully-fledged brand mascot and has helped Compare The Market grow its share in a very competitive UK price comparison field.

Fluent devices can be moulded and adapted to a brand. Churchill Insurance’s Dog is a prime example. A simple nodding dog that is timeless and instantly recognisable as the face of an insurance company. Fluent devices can also be human, as demonstrated by the ‘memorable’ singing man in the Compare ads, Gio Compario. Gio, originally played by Tenor Wynne Evans, has now been replaced with a cartoon character of the actor. These characters are not only cost-effective, avoiding hefty endorsement fees, but they also tend to have a longer shelf life, providing brands with consistent representation over time. Despite its longevity the ad voted the most annoying advert on TV - memorable then, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

Research from System 1, the behavioural and marketing science platform, reveals that fluent devices can be more effective in the long run, often leading to increased market share and profitability. A recent study of Super Bowl ads showed that while 62% of commercials featured celebrities, 32% used fluent devices. Interestingly, the study found that fluent devices were more effective, scoring an average of 3.7 stars in comparison to celebrity ads.

In the ongoing debate between celebrity endorsements and fluent devices, there is no definitive answer. Both strategies have their merits, and the right choice depends on the brand’s goals and audience. However, if done well and pinned on a strong creative idea, fluent devices seem to beat there celebrity counterparts in the regions of financial benefit, mouldablity and even longevity. So are certainly an interesting proposition for brands.