A few years ago we wanted to spice up how we sent out promotional emails. So we made up a character named Gary to do so. His backstory included being hired by our competitors to spy and report on all of our success. It was remarkably fun to concoct and remarkably well-received.

We went on to use his stock image we then used for all of our memes and even went as far as trying to get in touch with him to hire him for a video. Alas, he’s an actor but who lives in Eastern Europe.

But the marketing lesson remained: find an unexpected, humorous way to deliver information and your consumers will be delighted…and driven to action.

Beyond a successful humor device, creating a character and writing in their voice is a phenomenal creative exercise and we can’t recommend it enough. In fact, just last week when we were ideating a new ‘welcome sequence’ for people who sign up to get these very emails, we decided to employ him yet again. Not only is he memorably-goofy, delightful, and surprising, but developing a character in your marketing can create a storytelling narrative and fresh POV that draws in the reader and allows them to absorb your information in a more engaging way.

It felt as natural as breathing to bring him back for a Father’s Day Gift Guide — one he passive-aggressively addresses to his reclusive son, Dale, his second-wife Linda, and his pet cockatiel, Judy (named after his first wife).

Our goal with every project we take on (internal or for clients) is to use strategic fun to create Brand Personalities that get attention. And our beloved Gary absolutely accomplishes that.

BRB gotta go catch up on Night Court.