The 5 Foundations for Crafting a Solid Brand Character

If you caught our recent webinar Behind the Character: The Craft of Bringing Brands to Life, you’ll know we’re pretty serious about brand characters. Done right, characters are far more than just gimmicky mascots, they can be one of the most valuable assets a brand can have.

Think about the ones that never leave you. A tiger roaring about cereal. A meerkat comparing insurance. They stick because they’re instantly recognisable, completely distinctive, endlessly imitable and, most importantly, build long-term connections with audiences.

Over the years, we’ve brought our fair share of brand characters to life, and along the way, we’ve nailed what it takes to make one that really lands. But before we get into the how, let’s explore why they work so well – and some of the personalities we’ve created along the way.

Why brand characters matter

Every marketer wants the same thing: a brand that stands out. A strong character makes that job a whole lot easier. They don’t just get recognised, they carry personality, spark emotion and build the kind of memories that keep a brand front of mind.

Think of them as the living, breathing expression of a brand’s message or point of view. They let you tell stories in a way that feels human, not corporate. Whether it’s a stack of tyres turned into a friendly giant or a red-haired clown handing over fries, characters aren’t just selling, they’re entertaining – and that’s exactly why they stick.

Characters we’ve brought to life

At Drummond Central, we’ve created a range of distinctive characters over the years, each one tasked with a specific job to do for its brand: 

Bessie Smooooth for FAGE Creamy Dreamy – an R&B-singing cow with a voice as smooth as the product itself, helping launch a new dessert with a silky, soulful edge.

The Zinsser Twins – two East End hardmen who could “sort it” when it came to tough paint jobs, embodying Zinsser’s problem-solving promise with humour and grit.

Dreams Beds – where we brought mattresses to life with characters like Beddie, Snusan and Matty, all singing ‘Somebody to Love’. A bold way to add personality to a pretty sleepy category.

Fentiman – we introduced an Ambassador of Exquisite Taste for Fentimans, who politely guides folks toward making a more sophisticated choice. Through his charm, wit and impeccable manners, he brought Fentimans’ premium edge to life.

Each of these characters wasn’t just decoration, they had a role, a voice and a clear link back to the brand’s positioning. 

Our 5 foundations for building a solid brand character

So, how do you actually make one that works? We use five foundations to guide the creative process.

1. Embody and amplify the brand positioning
   People connect with characters in a way they rarely do with a business. When you personify a brand – give it a living, breathing form – suddenly it feels more relatable, more human and way easier to build an emotional connection with. It also gives the brand permission to be larger than life, to have a bit more fun, and even to say things it maybe wouldn’t normally get away with.
   
   That’s why this first step is so important: the character has to embody and amplify the brand’s positioning. If the character doesn’t feel rooted in the brand itself, then it’s basically just a mascot. But when it is grounded in what the brand stands for, it becomes a powerful extension of it – one that people can actually fall in love with.
   
   

2. Have a clear and meaningful role
   A character can’t just be there for decoration - they need a job to do. If their role isn’t clear, they can end up feeling like a distraction, rather than actually helping the brand message land. That’s why it’s so important to establish their role right from the start. Are they there to educate, entertain, or guide? When you know their role from day one, it shapes everything else and they immediately become more interesting.
   
   

3. Be compelling and engaging
   This sounds obvious, but it’s very easy to get wrong. A great brand character should make you feel something – whether that’s a laugh, a smile, even frustration or anger if that’s what fits the brand or message. The point is, they’ve got to create an emotional response, because that’s what keeps people engaged and coming back for more.
   
   

4. Have a distinctive look and way of speaking
   In today’s sea of sameness, distinctiveness is everything. A great character needs to stand out and stand for something. It’s much more than just how they look, it’s about how they sound, what they say, and their tone. Their words and delivery should feel unmistakably theirs.
   
   The way a character speaks can often be more powerful than how they look. Catchphrases, rhythm, quirks, or even the choice of vocabulary can make them instantly recognisable and endlessly repeatable. And that means whether you meet them on TV, on social, or hear them on radio, you should instantly know who they are.  
   
   

5. Have a well-thought-out backstory
   This is one people sometimes overlook – giving your character a proper backstory. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to put their life story in every ad, but having it in your back pocket makes all the difference. When you know who they are, where they’ve come from, what they love, what they stand for – suddenly they feel real. That depth gives them consistency.

   It also means the creative team isn’t starting from scratch every time; there’s a framework that makes writing for them so much easier, campaign after campaign. And it also helps with guardrails — you instantly know the kinds of things they would or wouldn’t say, or what they would or wouldn’t get involved in. It’s a bit like writing for a TV character: once you know     their backstory, their voice just flows naturally.

These foundations are what turn a good idea into a great character, one that can grow with a brand and ultimately become an asset that lives in culture.

Brand characters might look like fun on the outside (and they are), but behind every great one is strategy, craft and a framework that makes them last. If you want to dive deeper and see the full conversation, you can watch our webinar below. Or better yet, get in touch: [email protected].