Very

Our work with Very saw +17.4% EBITDA growth, doubled consideration, and market-leading creative effectiveness – all while competitors fought on features alone.

The Momentum Challenge

Very faced an identity crisis. Perceived as unfashionable and overpriced, years of shifting positioning had left customers and employees unclear about what the brand stood for. Very Pay (their finance offer) was disconnected from retail campaigns, confusing consumers about their core proposition. 

In a market squeezed by cost-of-living pressures and dominated by Amazon and Shein, Very was drowning in retail sameness. Traditional agency thinking would have tackled brand perception and financial services as separate problems.

The Joined-up Solution 

Rather than treating these as isolated issues, we assembled a bespoke team combining cultural intelligence, data science, creative strategy, and experience design to fundamentally transform what Very meant to customers and the business itself. 

We discovered the emotional truth in the data: Very customers weren't just ‘budget-conscious' – they were sparkly maximalists who refused to blend in. Through cultural analysis, we identified their authentic connection to Hun Culture: the playful British attitude that finds glamour in the mundane, turns ordinary moments into occasions, and brings leopard print energy to everyday life. 

The Hun Culture insight was transformational. Data validation proved Very customers massively over-indexed on Hun traits versus competitors – they were Amanda Holden taking bins out in ballgowns, Gemma Collins being unapologetically extra. This wasn't appropriation; it was recognition of an authentic shared spirit. 

Instead of fighting on price or features, we repositioned Very and its customers as ‘flamingos in a flock of pigeons'. “There's Good, and There's Very Good" became our unifying idea – connecting retail and finance under one powerful proposition rooted in Very's Liverpool heritage of bringing “a little extra". 

Integrated execution across every touchpoint: 

• Creative & Culture: Flamingo-fronted campaigns celebrating maximalist energy
• Strategy: Bold Christmas launch cutting through retail sameness
• Customer Experience: Unified Very Pay and retail communications
• Performance Marketing: AI-powered optimization driving both brand and performance metrics

The Momentum Delivered

Explosive growth while competitors stayed safe: 

• +17.4% H1 adjusted EBITDA growth – best ever half-year performance 
• +4.5% retail sales growth despite reduced media spend 
• +3ppt consideration growth year-on-year 

Brand transformation beyond transactions: 

• Top 4% of all campaigns ever tested (System 1) 
• +22ppt unprompted attribution vs. pre-flamingo 
• 52% fashion consideration (up from low 40s) 
• +8.4% brand contribution to EBITDA growth 

Turning flamingos into a business strategy and using hun culture insights and data validation to unite retail and finance under one powerful idea, resulted in a complete transformation in how Very competes and how the entire business operates.