In the United Kingdom, Churchill Insurance is a brand named after the country’s most famous wartime premier, Winston Churchill. It is the “bulldog of UK insurance companies,” and has made its “Churchill dog” something of a marketing institution in the world of television advertising.  Based on the novelty of nodding dogs seen on the dashboards of cars, Churchill is famous for his catchphrase “Oh yes!” as voiced by Vice Reeves.

The company’s advertising strategy is humorous and a bit endearing. It’s said that the Bulldog was selected by the creative department at Churchill Insurance after a competition among staff, but supposedly, Churchill Insurance wanted to distance itself from Winston Churchill. So what did the company do? It picked a Bulldog, the symbol of Churchill. The Bulldog made his debut in 1994, and the irony is that the dog icon served the company well.  The advertising campaign became an immediate public sensation. The Churchill Insurance Nodding Dog™ hot air balloon made its debut in 2004 and was (if not still) the largest hot air balloon shaped like a dog in the world. It can hold a pilot and two passengers as it makes appearances across the country.

The Churchill Insurance Nodding Dog™ starred in 22 pantomimes in 2009. In 2010, in addition to pantos, the famous bulldog appeared at Pontin holiday camps. The Nodding Dog ™ has morphed from a toy dog to computer-animated icon, and Nodding Dogs™ are on sale. The icon has its own Facebook page, and you can even see more of Churchill on his own You Tube Channel!