“Colin the mouse” Christmas campaign
Carphone Warehouse launched a heartwarming Christmas campaign featuring Colin the Christmas Mouse, an animated character created to reflect the brand’s friendly, customer-first ethos. Voiced by actor Martin Freeman, Colin’s story followed a determined little mouse on his quest to find the perfect Christmas gift—ultimately discovering that Carphone Warehouse had everything he needed to help people stay connected.
In a market saturated with technical jargon and price-led promotions, the campaign cut through by building emotional resonance and charm, positioning Carphone Warehouse as the most helpful and approachable place to shop for mobile gifts during the festive season.
Brand Strategy and Positioning:
The Colin campaign was grounded in Carphone Warehouse’s strategic positioning as the unbiased tech helper—a retailer that doesn’t just sell phones, but genuinely helps customers make the right choices. Colin embodied the brand’s core values: simplicity, service, warmth, and trust.
The goal was to shift perception from transactional to relational: from a mobile phone shop to a brand that cares about making gift-giving easier and more personal.
Retail Store Integration:
The campaign wasn’t just about the TV ad—Colin was brought to life across hundreds of retail locations, ensuring a consistent and festive brand experience at every customer touchpoint:
Window displays and in-store signage featured Colin in various Christmas scenes, creating an eye-catching and family-friendly retail environment.
Point-of-sale materials tied Colin’s character to Christmas offers, helping draw attention to seasonal deals in a way that felt warm rather than pushy.
Staff engagement aligned with the character’s helpful personality, encouraging employees to deliver extra-personalised service during the busy trading period.
Branded merchandise and gift guides used Colin’s imagery to add cheer and cohesion across print and in-store collateral.
Emotional Connection and Cut-Through:
The campaign was especially effective in humanising the technology experience, transforming what is often a technical or stressful purchase into something simple, supportive, and even magical. Colin the Mouse didn’t talk about megapixels or data plans—he talked about making people happy through connection.
Campaign Impact:
Increased store footfall during peak festive weeks, driven by strong campaign visibility and Colin’s family-friendly appeal
Enhanced brand affinity among gift-buying audiences, particularly parents and those shopping for less tech-savvy loved ones
Positive internal engagement, as retail staff rallied around the character and its values
Memorable brand storytelling, with Colin creating lasting recall well beyond the campaign window
