Pink fur. Sunglasses. Flip flops. A drum with a mallet. And oh yes, he’s fueled by Energizer batteries. Since his 1989 debut, the Energizer Bunny has become an unexpected hero in advertising, thumping his way into the hearts of consumers in a commercial spot where he drummed away to outlast toys powered by other batteries.
Today, Energizer Holdings, Inc. announces the launch of a new multimedia campaign, dedicated to aligning the iconic Bunny with rich new media options. At 27, he continues to (literally) march to the beat of his own drum, with an updated look and opportunities that will take the mascot to exciting, new places — along with a new tagline proving that the mascot is Still Going™.
Where is this hare going anyway and how did the Energizer Bunny get back into the spotlight again? I spoke with Michelle Atkinson, Energizer’s Chief Consumer Officer, who revealed a snippet of the Bunny’s jam-packed agenda, “Starting this month, we’re going to unleash the Bunny like never before, using today’s media landscape as a perfect playground for his disruptive nature to break through.”
On September 13th, the Energizer Bunny will debut his new style at New York Fashion Week showing off a cool new headband accessory at Angela Simmons’ active wear show. Atkinson notes that where you spot the Bunny next will reveal new sides to the mascot including features on YouTube bumper ads and maybe even his own Snapchat lens!
Created by ad agency DDB and previously with TBWA/Chiat for 25 years, the Bunny now resides in the hands of San Francisco-based creative agency Camp + King. Atkinson is excited for the direction Energizer is going in with Camp + King as well as the decision to bring the Bunny back to the spotlight.
“He’s the hero of [our] advertising, but his personality was too behind the scenes. He was not the focus and that’s why we stepped back to reexamine him. We wanted to bring back his disruptive nature and make him front and center with consumers again.” Atkinson explains, “Lately, consumers have told us they want more Bunny and they told us what we could alter and what was off-limits.”
For the “Bigger, Better, Bunnier” campaign, the Energizer Bunny will remain a pink cottontail and stay dressed in his signature blue flip flops and sunglasses (AKA the off-limits aspects of the character). His biggest change? Expect to see a slightly slimmer, fluffier, and more expressive Bunny. Atkinson says that while the Bunny won’t be speaking, he will be expressive through increased flexibility and facial movements. He can now raise his eyebrows, add a little hop to his step, and may even lay down his drum and mallet for the chance to score a quick high five.
Another subtle change will be the Energizer tagline to Still Going™, a nod to the infamous “Keep Going” tagline that accompanied the original campaign and reinforces consumers of the brand’s roots as well as its long-lasting products.
Ultimately, one of the biggest plans for the Energizer Bunny’s future lies in returning to its roots. “We have the Bunny. No one else does. If we continue to do the same thing year after year, are we really disrupting anything for the consumers? Bunnies and batteries go hand in hand and we’re giving back to what works best for the brand. Now more than ever, we’re looking at the media landscape much more holistically to be impactful.” Atkinson says.
From a lightsaber fight with Darth Vader to a close encounter with alien spacecraft and even disrupting a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as a balloon float that decided to wander off course, the Energizer Bunny continues to be a huge part of pop culture and surprises consumers of all ages. When it comes to discovering the new ways he will disrupt and delight this year and beyond, we can’t help but be all ears in anticipating how he’s Still Going.