MAYBE
Alex Batchelor, Chief operating officer, BrainJuicer
It's always a hard thing to breathe new life into a much-loved TV advertising property that's gone a little stale. So what better way to create endless new Andrex puppy storylines than with a switch from real fur to fake?
Well, not quite. The CGI puppies fall over themselves to do things that bring a smile to your face, yet the emotion they evoke is a fraction of seeing real Labrador puppies rolling in toilet paper.
Why? We know from the latest brain science that emotion is at the heart of our decisions, and puppies and babies are a short cut to triggering the 'ahhh' factor in our brains. This should work but, somehow, it doesn't.
Maybe the rules are that either puppies have to be real, doing cute but believable things, or very obviously manufactured doing surprising and funny things. Perhaps the Evian 'roller-babies' work because it's a 'madcap thing' babies could never do. The CGI puppies, though, feel as if they need more creative licence to generate the emotion necessary to make the brand famous again.
NO
LETTY EDWARDS, UK marketing director, Dulux
Brand icons are always a difficult subject, as they are well loved, well recognised and well respected. They also stand for trust, quality and, often, heritage. The age-old challenge is how to ensure that these well-loved icons remain modern and relevant to today's consumer, rather than dated.
In recent years, several brands have moved characters into new formats such as Aardman-type clay models, knitted puppets and soft toys. Some were more successful than others.
Now Andrex has decided to use CGI to visualise its puppy. While it has certainly got people talking, the cuteness and personality of the puppy has been lost. I certainly cannot imagine replacing Spud (one of our Dulux dogs) with a computer-animated version, as his charm and character would be lost.
Having said that, Andrex would not have been able to achieve the poses and action with a real dog that it has from an animated version. The saying goes 'never work with small children or animals'. At Dulux, we disagree.
NO
TRACEY FOLLOWS, Head of planning, VCCP
Even a quick look at the @andrexpuppy Twitter account tells you that we've got a cultural currency on our hands.
The Andrex puppy is more than a property - it's the brand's point of view. Our little, frolicking friend has reminded us of the importance of goodness, innocence and, above all, softness. Like the puppy, the brand brings all of these qualities to our everyday life.
A CGI version (preparing a dinner), however, makes him less natural, and brings associations of dominance, manipulation and contrivance. It's not just poor the puppy that has been manipulated - it's us, the viewer.
The result is that we get a property without any real character, one that feels more like first canine cousin to the Churchill dog.
A post-digital world requires a post-digital dog, but why not develop a CGI version for interactive digital environments and use the broadcast medium to do what it does best - emotional storytelling with real meaning?
NO
JEREMY RAINBIRD, Chief executive, Addiction Worldwide
The puppy is one of the most loved and iconic characters in UK advertising, so Andrex is set to lose all that brand equity. It feels as if it has lost sight of what consumers are buying into.
A real-life puppy translates to playfulness and innocence. Most importantly, it is considered part of the family, thereby making the audience comfortable with watching an ad about toilet roll and making families want to make Andrex part of their weekly shop.
Consumers want to associate loo roll with all that is real, soft and natural, rather than with CGI. Even the Andrex Puppy outtakes video has clocked up about 73,000 views on YouTube.
Going 'digital' does not guarantee an automatic win with a younger audience either. Part of the reason that children love the puppy is because they aspire to have a household pal exactly like that.
I think Andrex will face a consumer backlash, particularly online, and could be forced to bring back the live puppy.
The Marketing Society is the most influential network of senior marketers dedicated to inspiring bolder marketing leadership. www.marketing-society.org.uk.