How the trigema Monkey Became an Advertising Star
Since 1992, we have been advertising in the so-called „Best Minute“ before the Tagesschau news programme on ARD. It was through this television advertising that the monkey eventually became part of trigema. At the time, we were offered a TV commercial that had originally been produced for a major corporation and featured a chimpanzee speaking into a microphone.
However, that customer was no longer interested in the commercial. This gave us the opportunity to acquire the rights to use the chimpanzee footage and add our own soundtrack. We were looking for a distinctive and eye-catching commercial, and this seemed like exactly the right idea – the trigema monkey was born!
The monkey wore a shirt, tie and glasses, but there was otherwise no context that could specifically be associated with another company. As he had his mouth full of nuts, he chewed away contentedly, creating the impression that he was speaking. All that was needed was to add the trigema company logo and record a suitable voice-over.
From 1990 to 1992, this first version of the commercial was regularly broadcast on Saturdays before ARD's Sportschau programme. To reach additional target groups, the commercial was then shown shortly before the Tagesschau from 1992 onwards. The popularity and recognisability of the trigema monkey also benefited from the television series „Unser Charly“, which was very popular with both children and adults in the 1990s. Since 1996, the trigema monkey has appeared in advertising together with Wolfgang Grupp, who at the time was the company's sole owner and managing director.
The trigema Monkey – from Advertising Star to Company Mascot
Although the commercial has been revised repeatedly over the years, we have always remained loyal to our Charly. By now, the trigema monkey has long since developed into a company mascot and is used in a wide variety of marketing activities. The trigema chimpanzee smiles cheerfully from company vehicles, mugs, bags, T-shirts and many other products.
The original commercial featuring the trigema monkey together with Wolfgang Grupp was broadcast on ARD until 2015. It was then replaced by a new commercial that no longer focused on the trigema chimpanzee, but instead placed our products at the centre. The aim of the new commercial was to familiarise viewers with our clothing and draw attention to its production. In addition to the Best Minute on ARD, the commercial was also broadcast on commercial television in order to reach new target groups for our textiles.
The trigema Monkey Goes Digital
As the trigema monkey was sorely missed from our advertising – and, to be honest, we could not really do without him either – there was only one thing to do: make him part of the commercial again. In the meantime, Charly had also entered the digital age, which is why the iconic trigema monkey has been appearing on television as an animated 3D version since 10 March 2018. In doing so, we also wanted to send a message in support of animal welfare and respond to those who are committed to protecting chimpanzees living in the wild.
AI Comeback – the trigema Monkey as a Fashion Influencer
In collaboration with renowned creative agency thjnk and production company Saltwater, our trigema monkey Charly was created entirely using generative AI. This makes him flexible enough to be used in our new advertising strategy and allows him to appear from completely new perspectives alongside his familiar role as a newsreader. The trigema monkey opens the new advertising campaign as a fashion influencer and is introduced by none other than Tagesschau icon Jan Hofer – a handshake between colleagues, so to speak!
This marks the end of a long advertising era almost simultaneously with Wolfgang Grupp Senior handing the company over to the next generation, during which he and trigema testimonial Charly were at the centre of the brand's advertising. But not only does Wolfgang Grupp remain connected to the company, Charly does too. In his new role, the trigema monkey takes over our social media channels at the launch of the campaign and shares his perspective on fashion and current events. Charly will, of course, continue to represent the values of trigema as a family-owned company, while developing a personality of his own for the first time, allowing tradition and innovation to come together.
The new advertising activities represent continuity on the one hand and the company's further development under Wolfgang Junior and Bonita Grupp on the other. The advertising campaign will not only be shown on traditional linear television as before, but also on addressable TV. In addition to the current TV commercial and several campaign visuals across different channels, a second commercial was planned for 2025.