New flamingo family leads Very’s Christmas creative

Very, the online retailer operated by The Very Group, today unveils its Christmas and Black Friday campaign, ‘That’s the Very Thing’, bringing its brand proposition to life through an expanded cast of animated flamingo characters and a pioneering blend of CGI and AI-assisted animation.

Developed by Very’s lead creative agency The Gate, and produced by M3Labs, the campaign introduces a new flamingo family marking the next chapter in the evolution of one of retail’s most distinctive creative assets.

For the past three years, the online retailer has used the power of creative consistency to maximise impact. Collectively, since launching for the first time at Christmas in 2023, the multi-award-winning platform has doubled brand campaign recognition, whilst also showing significant impacts on brand sentiment, brand trust and brand consideration.

Building on this, and Very's recent brand evolution, the campaign sees the retailer's iconic pink box and cube logo become a portal into imaginative worlds inspired by the products, possibilities and moments customers value most during the festive season.

The work supports Very's ambition to showcase itself as a trusted destination that combines great choice, flexible ways to pay and a shopping experience that feels good.

Launching across TV, streaming, out-of-home, radio and digital channels, 'That's the Very Thing' is the first Very campaign to use a hybrid CGI and AI-assisted production process, combining creative craftsmanship with emerging technology to create a richer and more scalable suite of assets.

The hero 30 second film follows a young flamingo as he searches for his own dream gift, and finds himself transported through the Very cube into the dream worlds of his family along the way. Each flamingo has a moment of escapism, drawn from the great selection of dream gifts available from Very. Back in reality, the flamingo family celebrate Christmas together, made easy with Very’s choice of ways to pay, free delivery and returns.

The film was directed by Peter Lee-Scott who worked with M3Labs and The Gate to shape how CGI and AI were each used, keeping creative craft at the heart of every frame.

Very partnered with System1 Group to test the creative, with the new campaign becoming the online retailer’s highest-scoring ad ever. It ranked among the top 1% of retail ads with its target audience, achieving System1’s top Star Rating of 5.9, outperforming industry benchmarks and creating a strong emotional connection that drove brand recognition.

Helen James, Chief Executive Officer, The Gate, said: “Very’s flamingo campaigns have been a firm favourite among customers since launching in 2023, having significant positive impacts on brand sentiment, trust and consideration, so evolving them was never about starting again - it was about giving them new life and a bigger stage. By working with M3Labs and Director, Peter Lee-Scott, we’ve built a world with real craft, charm and ambition and, just like previous years, we’ve used data and insights to inform the creative approach with System 1 supporting pre-testing.”

Sam Wright, chief customer and commercial officer at The Very Group, commented: “Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for the families we serve, and we’re proud to be able to unveil our latest campaign which takes viewers on a journey to find the very thing to help make Christmas extra special.

“From showcasing the great range of gifts available across our online department store, to highlighting our flexible ways to pay, the new campaign spotlights Very as a Christmas shopping destination.”  

Beckie Crane-Stanion, Marketing Director at The Very Group, added : “Christmas and Black Friday are key calendar moments for our customers, and Very’s flock of flamingos have gone through a transformation to bring even more warmth and build on the gains already made across brand fame, brand attribution and emotional connection to Very. This year, by embracing new technology, we’ve enhanced the creative concept to introduce a new family which we’re confident our customers will love!”

The Christmas campaign goes live on 1 November across TV, streaming, out-of-home, radio with direct response TV following from 7 November. Black Friday activity then begins on 12 November across the same TV and streaming channels, with direct response TV from 21 November. Radio runs throughout the period, with always-on activity starting on 31 October. Media planning and buying is handled by Zenith.

Alongside the campaign, a partnership with Platform Media takes ‘That’s the Very Thing’ into the real world, pairing celebrity hosts, across various podcasts, for Secret Santa gifting challenges.

'That's the Very thing' will roll out over a full suite of campaign assets across the festive period, covering product range, more time to pay, and Black Friday communications.

Contact information

Media relations

Claire Newmarch, External Communications Manager: [email protected]