Situation: Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up acquired Hawaiian Punch in May of 1999 and wanted to explore the possibility of reviving the brand’s Punchy character. Punchy had been created in the early 70’s and had made a lasting impression on audiences with his signature line “How’s about a nice Hawaiian Punch?” and the punch that followed it. But over the next twenty years, he changed continuously in terms of what he did and how he looked. Eventually, he dropped out of use in television advertising. Despite this, research in the late 1990’s found that teenagers “remembered” the first version of the character and his signature line even though both had disappeared from television before they were born. . Obviously, Punchy was a valuable brand asset. The issue was how to bring him back in a way that was true to his essence while being responsive to today’s values.

Symptoms:

• Since his creation, Punchy’s actions had been continuously watered down to make him more more acceptable.
  

• His look had changed repeatedly, muddying his identity.
  

• Eventually the brand had stopped using him altogether in television advertising.
  

Punchy’s main appeal seemed to be his unique characterization—particularly his punch. He punched people, but punching people is inappropriate behavior for a product aimed at youth.

Solution: Dr. Pepper/Seven-Up asked character to help them revive Punchy. Our primary task was to help them re-discover the essential elements that made the character effective.

In the course of the project we explored the essence of the brand to identify who Punchy is, and who he is not. Hawaiian Punch is simple, powerful and refreshing. Punchy is most effective and delivers successfully on the brand promise when he is elemental – simple and powerful like a force of nature. We researched all the various incarnations of Punchy and defined the essentials of look and behavior required to convey the character. Understanding that his punch is central to his identity, we explored in depth how the punch connected with the audience and what it said to them. Our conclusion recognized Punchy’s punch as a metaphor for overwhelming refreshment rather than an act of physical violence, suggesting a number of acceptable ways to approach it without diluting its authenticity.

In addition to the publication of the Punchy Sourcebook we developed a user manual for the brand, detailing Punchy’s look for packaging, promotion and animation.