Relax Darlings

‘Relax Darlings’ - she’s back. Aunt Helga, the UK’s favourite Teutonic tech wizard, is returning in a new brand positioning campaign for web hosting and cloud provider IONOS. The marketing drive aims to broaden IONOS’ reach and cement its position as the #1 digital partner to solve web-related problems for small to midsize businesses and creative studios, by supercharging design and online retail capabilities.

The new work consists of a TV commercial underpinned by digital marketing. It builds on the resounding success of last year’s launch campaign which was made by branding agency NOMAD, creative production studio Armoury London and advertising agency 2050 London.

2021’s ‘I own this’ campaign introduced the small but mighty character of Aunt Helga to the British public - instantly establishing her as a new brand icon, joining the ranks of Compare the Market’s Meerkats, the Andrex Puppies and the PG Tips’ Chimpanzees. In addition to generating record-breaking traffic to IONOS’ site, prompted awareness also increased significantly - a powerful example of a ‘positively bonkers’ creative concept translating to commercial success.

The new spot sees the diminutive yet inimitable heroine return in a futuristic new setting to dispense some tough love and tech savviness to small business owners.

Beamed in through a cosmic portal, Aunt Helga deploys her signature mix of Germanic uber efficiency and fast fingers – plus her trademark catchphrases of “Nice, nice, nice” and “I own this, darlings” - to upgrade the old school website of a fashionable e-scooter boutique at lightning speed. In addition to her Karl Lagerfeld-inspired uniform of head-to-toe black trenchcoat, elbow-length gloves and statement glasses, Aunt Helga totes a couple of new additions reflecting the brand’s fresh focus on technological capabilities: a glowing, Back to the Future-esque hoverboard and an outsized helmet to accommodate her signature blonde beehive.