Findus – a leading company in the frozen food market and part of the Nomad Foods group – announces a partnership agreement with ETS licensing for the licensing rights management of Carletto, the histrionic chameleon that has embodied over time the brand Sofficini.
It was 1998 when Carletto landed on TV in a TV commercial by Sofficini. From that moment it becomes the face and soul of the brand, for its ability to best express its identity, effectively communicating the delicacy of the product and strengthening its distinctive image.
It becomes the undisputed protagonist of all subsequent communication activities, both on traditional media and on the web, both in stores and in consumer promotion activities.
The chameleon, thanks to his sympathy, the ability to involve and invite to play with him, has been able to interpret the child present in each of us, succeeding in embodying the brand in an increasingly transversal way over time.
Now Carletto is ready to embark on new adventures, which will see him protagonist in other areas, all to be explored, in which to live his spirit joyful and irreverent over the years has been able to conquer young and old.
“Carletto is a character particularly loved by families and children – says Carly Arnold, Findus Marketing Director – in him we saw great potential even outside our category, the production of frozen food. The goal of this ‘character extension’ is to intercept our consumers through levers completely different from the current ones, with new tools and mode. ”
An intuition that also comes from a very positive feedback from consumers: “Over time we have received many expressions of interest for Carletto: that’s why we chose to rely on an authoritative partner, such as ETS Licensing, to explode these opportunities.”
Carletto’s arrival in the world of licensing is a starting point for the expansion of the character’s activity.
The start of the path taken with ETS Licensing will be presented for the first time during the Kids Marketing Days, scheduled in Milan on March 10.
“ETS Licensing is honored to have been chosen by Findus to be the agency that will accompany them in the development of Carletto as an intangible asset and intellectual property – comments Francesco Raiano, Head of Licensing&New Business of ETS Licensing – . This is an innovative project with some examples abroad, but it is the first time that happens in Italy and it is the first time that the starting point is a testimonial character of food products. The awareness and appeal of Carletto’s personality, developed and supported by Findus, are excellent conditions to make it a pop icon and guide its development in other product categories”. 

CARLETTO’S BIRTH: THE CHILD INSIDE EACH OF US
August 14th 1998 is considered Carletto’s date of birth, within the historic advertising campaign The Families of Smile, where families of human beings were replaced by families of animals. Like bears, hedgehogs, polyps, kangaroos, snakes and parrots, chameleons are also the result of the creativity and visionary intuition of Barbara Capponi and Paola Rando, considered the mothers of Carletto, who was then “adopted” by the copywriter Filippo Santi.
For the realization of the puppets the choice falls on the best: the agency Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson who, among other things, had created the unforgettable Muppets.
Thus were born, one after the other, the protagonists of the Families of Smile, manually animated by experienced English puppeteers, such as the classic “glove” puppets, and partly remote controlled, “very sophisticated creatures”.
The winning idea? Make Carletto the “stomach” of the consumer: that childish greed that represents the desire of Sofficini and that roars to the cry “You are not hungry?”.
Over the years, the fascinating animatronic puppet is replaced by 3D computer graphics and digital animation, but its naughty and alluring nature remains intact.

THE RISE OF CARLETTO, PROTAGONIST OF A THOUSAND ADVENTURES
Since 2002 Carletto is at the center of the most varied gags in television commercials, protagonist in consumer promotion, main attraction of dedicated events, the unmistakable face of all the packages of the range Sofficini and unleashed mascot on social networks.
With his irresistible sprint, Carletto moves with agility in instant marketing campaigns and is the perfect animator for the Sofficini Evening, the most awaited evening of the week, a cheerful and carefree dinner loved by adults and children, where fun is king.
In 2013 the chameleon plays the role of a perfect judoka with the catchphrase “And you could do it?” To accomplish his impossible mission, break with a single move a trunk containing a Sofficino; the following year Carletto, in a tuxedo, shows up in Sanremo with his first hit “Hai capito il piccoletto”, attempting the climb to success.
And again, special investigator, footballer and even bohemian painter when in 2017 with the famous question “Can you improve a masterpiece?” he picks up palette and brush to paint a work of which he is very proud: the new Mona Lisa.
In 2020 he is at the center of a successful multi-channel campaign, crossing the different eras when Sofficini have cheered the meals of the Italians, from the seventies to today, while in 2021 he travels throughout the peninsula bringing all consumers “Around Italy with Carletto.”

FINDUS
Findus is a brand owned in Italy by CSI – Compagnia Surgelati Italiana SpA – a leafing company in the producion and marketing of products in the frozen food sector and inludes among its brands some of the most known and loved in Italy. The portfolio also includes brands such as Quattro Salti in Padella, Sofficini, Capitan Findus and many others.
www.findus.it