Why Argos Banked On Mascots for a Joyful Spot This Christmas

Catalogue retailer Argos’ mascots - ‘Design A Friend’ doll, Connie and Chad Valley dinosaur toy, Trevor - are back in the brand’s communications lore just in time for the Christmas period. 

The unlikely duo first appeared in May 2023, for Argos’ spring advert, in which we see them admiring a newcomer - a sofa cushion, which Trevor gets quite cosy with later in the spot. As it stands, the dinosaur and doll are the brand’s second group of mascots, following the Alien Family, which retired in 2014. Since the spring ad, Connie and Trevor also appeared in Argos’ sponsorship adverts for British soap opera, ‘Coronation Street’.

In the Christmas hero film, we see Connie giving the performance of a lifetime, dancing and twirling across a table on Christmas Eve, while Trevor is behind the phone camera. Enveloped by the steam from a coffee machine, Connie rises from a pile of gifts, turns the volume up on the speaker and gets the Shark blow dryer going to achieve that perfect windswept-hair effect.

Showcasing a number of Argos catalogue products during the dance, Connie and Trevor’s goal is to seamlessly build upon the brand platform ‘There’s More to Argos’, which launched earlier in the year and aims to put the spotlight on the most-wanted items the retailer offers. ‘From toys, to tech, to homeware’ is the supporting tagline in the film, which is directed by Traktor and animated by Untold, which also runs through the platform’s wider communications. 

“‘There’s More to Argos’ is essentially the brand platform that introduced Connie and Trevor to the audiences earlier this year,” say The&Partnership’s [agency on the campaign] director of production, Matt Moreland and creative director, Chris Clarke. Matt continues, “We wanted to show that Argos is the go-to destination for Christmas using our favourite duo, Connie and Trevor. Ranging from home appliances and homeware to top of the range tech, stylish beauty tools and of course, toys to put under Christmas trees, we’ve included a bit of everything in the advert. But there’s so much more as we offer quality, style and affordability for all our customers.”

The breadth and range of products offered by the retailer is also evident through the unique friendship between Connie and Trevor. “They are brand mascots that showcase our range in a new and interesting way,” comments the Argos team. ”Through them, we hope to position Argos as the most convenient place for shoppers, at great value too. A doll and a dinosaur felt like a fun duo, where both could bring different things to the table.”

As mentioned above, the brand is no stranger to a good mascot, and they believe that there are some undoubted benefits to relating your brand name to a memorable face. “Mascots and brand characters are definitely more popular at this time of year,” comments Argos’ spokesperson. “Especially when people are looking for joyful and heartfelt stories from brands. Thankfully, we already have a great pair of characters who are up for the task!”

“This year’s advert is a modern-day take on the classic ‘toys come to life’ narrative through our beloved characters, Connie and Trevor,” say Matt and Chris - and “advertising legends” Traktor were the ones who took up the directorial challenge. “They’re so collaborative and good to work with, which results in such a smooth production,” they add. “Not to mention working with professional actors like Connie and Trevor, there were zero performance issues.”

The majority of the film was done in post production and the filming process itself took just over two days in a studio with a life-size set. “We had a brilliant choreographer, Lizzie Gough,” says Chris. “She stood in for Connie’s dancing parts, which we later tracked and matched in post.”

But Lizzie and Traktor weren’t the only legends on set - DOP Pär M. Ekberg, known for shooting some of Beyoncé’s most iconic videos, helped elevate the shoot too. “Shooting so many plates and figuring out how it pieces together later, the right camera moves and atmosphere for each scene was the biggest challenge overall,” explain Matt and Chris. 

Argos has recently expanded its range of branded products to the grand total of  60,000, to ensure it truly covers every category that a customer could need. “Our Christmas ad is a celebration of the wide range of products you can find at Argos,” the brand comments.

“However, we know this year will be difficult for many of our customers and we understand that Christmas is often a time of the year when people need to keep a close eye on their finances,” they continue. “Despite concerns over costs, our shoppers are still excited to make the holidays special.” This is why the retailer has made sure that their range does not only cover the essentials and beyond, but also caters to a wide range of budgets.

Another trend the brand has seen is that, in the past couple of years, customers have been spreading the Christmas cost across November, and sometimes even earlier. Planning Christmas in advance is commonplace for many as budgets get tighter, and this partly informed Argos’ decision to release the Christmas range and spot in early November. 

Not to mention, “Many customers want to get into the Christmas spirit as soon as the evenings get dark and days grow colder,” adds the brand. “Launching in early November, people can enjoy our advert for as long as possible!”