Cuddly Kittens and 'Squidgy' Planets Summon ‘Power of Joy Joy’ for TopCashback

TopCashback, the UK’s leading cashback site, has launched a transformative new brand platform, ‘Next Level Spending Powers,’ created with its agency Uncharted. The platform debuts with a high-energy, multi-sensory campaign titled ‘Summon the Power of Joy Joy,’ designed to reposition TopCashback as magical support for today’s shoppers.

Brand Platform: Next Level Spending Powers

The new brand strategy is based on customer research and data that revealed the real emotional value of receiving cashback in the journey, which far surpasses the rational monetary benefit. The research identified a cohort of younger customers who were less familiar with the category, but who were strongly motivated by the idea of a new way of increasing their spending power at a time when “treat funds” were being cut back.

Campaign idea: ‘Summon the Power of Joy Joy’

At the heart of the campaign is the concept of double joy — the rush of a perfect purchase combined with the thrill of receiving a cashback bonus. This is brought to life through pairs of colourful characters that serve as visual metaphors for these twin sensations. The creative leans into visual and audio ASMR to elicit a physically joyful response—from the tactile fur of cuddly kittens to glistening otters and "squidgy" planets, each frame is engineered to trigger a hit of dopamine.

The multi-million pound campaign, with media planned and bought by EssenceMediacom, spans TV, cinema, outdoor, print, digital and social media.

To ensure the work resonated with the audience, Uncharted worked with technology partner DAIvid. Using proprietary AI testing systems, the creative was refined to maximise emotional connection and brand memorability.

Laura Jordan Bambach, chief creative officer at Uncharted described the campaign, "We’ve moved away from a functional category narrative, to the visceral, physical joy and double dopamine hit of receiving cashback. By blending hand-drawn character design and traditional animation and CGI with the tactile nature of AI, we’ve created a multi-sensory language that tempts you to reach in and touch, taste and snuggle the work. The combination of the oldest and newest creative tools at our disposal represents the best of what modern advertising can deliver.”

Chris Delahunty, head of marketing at TopCashback added, "Our mission is to help everyone switch on their dormant spending powers and experience how powerful spending can truly feel. We are incredibly grateful to Uncharted for their partnership; they have brilliantly captured the magic of our brand through a bold, multi-sensory campaign that will help us connect with a whole new generation of shoppers."

Production: Combining craft with technology to create a unique brand landscape

Uncharted worked with Chuckles Studios and production house Blind Pig to bring to life the executions in which each character was hand-drawn by character illustrators before being fused with 3D, CGI, compositing and cutting-edge AI technology to generate immersive backgrounds and seamless transitions in animation, creating a distinctive magical brand world.

The Blind Pig bespoke ‘Integrated AI’ methodology put the creative and talent at the forefront, seamlessly integrated it with state-of-the-art AI animation. In close collaboration with Chuckles and Uncharted, the team created a unique brand identity for the characters and campaign.

The campaign’s auditory landscape is as intentional as its visuals:

• Music: Uncharted partnered with Classics & Screen/Universal Music Publishing Group to soundtrack the campaign with a signature track by songwriter and producer Lauren Auder, capturing a feeling of joy.
• Audio: The audio led by Factory blended the score with musical sounds rather than traditional SFX for an audio experience that blended music and SFX as one distinct sensorial track.
• New Sonic Branding: In a first for TopCashback, the campaign unveils a permanent sonic logo. Uncharted partnered with Swedish composer Martin Åberg to develop this audio signature, which will now live across advertising, website, app and social, cementing the brand's identity in the ears of customers.