Very partners with ITV Daytime’s Alison Hammond for added Christmas sparkle

Very has teamed up with ITV Daytime in an exclusive celebrity-studded partnership to help shoppers solve Christmas conundrums.

From feeding the whole family, to finding the perfect gift, the new creative partnership, which is a collaboration between the online retailer, The Gate and Zenith, will see the ‘Very Godmother’ help viewers avoid festive faux pas.

Alison Hammond, the icon of ‘hun culture’, has been appointed to be the ‘Very Godmother’ to deliver extra sparkle this festive season.

The British subculture was a key inspiration for Very’s creative strategy with audience research showing there is crossover between Very’s audience mindset and ‘hun culture’. This has ultimately influenced the creation of the ‘Let’s make it sparkle’ platform, the launch of the flamingo fluent devices and the ongoing marketing activity which showcases vibrancy, while tapping into the customer mindset of having a zest for life, fun and a touch of glamour.

The new creative campaign with ITV Daytime, on screens from the 8^th November, and launching in This Morning, will see Alison take to the phones to help solve the public’s Christmas shopping dilemmas, while calling on a team of flamboyant flamingos to transform the famous This Morning set.

Plus, the ads spotlight hero products and have been an opportunity for brands such as Ninja, Coty, Meta and Lego to integrate themselves in above-the-line, targeted marketing activity with Very Media Group.

The new partnership with ITV follows the roll-out of the online retailer’s flamingo-filled Christmas creative which was initially developed in partnership with The Gate in 2023. Opting for consistency this Christmas, Very brought back the much-loved and highly effective ad after the campaign drove year on year improvements in ROI across gross demand, and customer lifetime value.

The partnership with ITV Daytime, which is being managed by Zenith, features a hero 40" TV advert, two 20” adverts, along with multiple social media ads from Very and ITV, as well as social content from the Very Godmother herself. The campaign will run in the UK, across TV, VOD and social media.

Jessica Myers, chief customer officer at The Very Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with the ITV Daytime team to make Christmas sparkle more than usual. Research shows our customers love Christmas, they’re fans of daytime talent, and there’s clear overlap between ‘hun culture’ and our customers way of life, which is why working with Alison Hammond made perfect sense.

“’Hun culture’ has played an important part in our marketing strategy over the last 12 months – we’ve created campaigns which resonate with our customers, showcasing a zest for life and you can see this coming through in our creative through the fluent devices, their personalities and the music choices. This year, we’ve taken a consistent approach to our Christmas campaign, but this partnership adds a sprinkling of newness, while continuing to spotlight our fabulous flamingo fluent devices, which we’re sure our customers will love.” 

Sannah Rogers, chief executive officer at Zenith UK, said: “Alison Hammond, our Very Godmother, will bring extra sparkle to ITV daytime – the ‘home of huns’ – making this Christmas campaign the most fl-amazing yet!"

Contact information

Media relations

The Gate

Marina Hidalgo, growth director | marina.hidalgo@thegateworldwide.com | 07577024250

The Very Group

Claire Newmarch, external communications manager | Claire.Newmarch@theverygroup.com

Zenith

Jo Sibley, Communications Manager |  jo.sibley@publicismedia.com  | 07894 832578