The History of Finn.
Our office often sparks curiosity with the sight of a life-size flamingo, our beloved mascot, affectionately known as Finn. The choice of a flamingo, seemingly out of place in a digital-focused agency, is not as random as it may seem. It holds significance for many reasons. But before we delve into that, let's explore how Finn became our cherished feathered friend.
When I first started with KKG Inc., to lead the ShopCart Creative team, we needed to start a new marketing campaign to reintroduce what ShopCart does, spark interest, and make us more visible. Trying to tie in what services we provide to our clients with a simple visual was the basis of the exercise. When it comes down to our goals as a company, what we provide to our clients is to get them more visible to the shopper and to impact their sales. That simple message led me to the statement, "Stand Out." That moniker has multiple meanings - stand out online, stand out in-store, stand out on searches, and, more importantly, stand out from our competitors.
The transition from a simple two-word headline to an animal that embodies that statement was a natural progression. The flamingo, our 'north star,' was chosen for its ability to 'stand out' in various contexts. This decision led us to delve into the fascinating world of flamingo facts, adding a fun twist to our branding journey. We arm ourselves with answers to questions everyone has about flamingos. Questions like, "Why are flamingos pink? Why do flamingos stand on only one leg? Do they sleep standing up? What do you call a group of flamingos?" I can safely say that I now know way too much about flamingos.
But after all that, our flamingo didn't have a name. We set out to remedy that problem. The entire KKG Inc. team voted on what the flamingo should be called from a list of submitted names. The voting result was a name submitted by one of our interns, Finn, and it has stuck ever since. If nothing else, Finn has given us a reason to talk about what it means to stand out. This can also be seen when we take him out to lunch once every so often. Heads turn, kids ask to pet our flamingo, and selfies are taken.
Thanks to Finn, we have created a baseline within our team that focuses on the one true goal when delivering for our clients—to stand out. We take this mantra into everything we do for them. Whether maintaining their item scores above the expected threshold, providing high-quality images and videos for their listings or packaging, or creating highly engaging content that will move the needle, our goal is always to help our clients stand out. There is nothing we can't do to help make that happen.
Oh, and if you're wondering what the answers are to those fantastic flamingo questions, here they are. Flamingos' pink pigment comes from their number one food source: shrimp. They stand on just one leg simply because it's physiologically easier for them to do so. Their knees lock in place and tend to sway a lot more when standing on two. And yes, they sleep that way. Finally, while I think a flamingle is a better name for a group of flamingos, it's an equally fun word - a flamboyance.
MARK POPEJOY
VP & TEAM LEAD | CREATIVE DIRECTOR