-New breed of 'eccentrics' abound-
ONCE the sole preserve of the rich upper classes, today's society is overflowing with colourful eccentricity.
New research from first direct reveals it's not a stiff upper lip nor even resilience that unites Brits, instead it's our eccentric characters (65 per cent).
Forget mad relatives who were once taboo, eccentricity is now a sought-after trait with celebrity role models leading the way. The eccentric idol for over half of under 35s (51 per cent) is lovable rogue Russell Brand, while for women it's rebel designer Vivienne Westwood (48 per cent).
More than one in 10 Brits (13 per cent) - six million people across the country - can be classified as true eccentrics, although 32 million in total display 'traits' of eccentricity.
True eccentrics are united in their quest for individuality, with 84 per cent displaying this characteristic. The second most defining personality trait that sets three in five true eccentrics apart is creativity (60 per cent), closely followed by being 'free' and liberated (51 per cent), unusual (45 per cent) and non-conformist (44 per cent).
The highest proportion of Britain's eccentrics can be found in the Midlands and East Anglia (17 per cent) whilst the Northern counties are the most straight laced with just eight per cent. It seems men are the most likely eccentrics, with16 per cent of males compared to 10 per cent of the fairer sex showing quirky characteristics.
To mark its 21st birthday, first direct - the original direct bank - commissioned the Future Foundation to explore and champion the unique individuals who make Britain great. The resulting 'Colourful Lives' report is a celebration of all that's individual, quirky and just plain eccentric.
first direct Head of Marketing, Paul Say, said: "The research shows Brits are proud of their nation, with traditional customs and festivals such as cheese rolling, bog snorkelling and toe wrestling cited by 57 per cent as the main reason Britain is so eccentric. One in every 100 people in the UK is officially registered as a Jedi Knight - a statistic which proves Brits aren't afraid to be irreverent even about such routine things as the Census.
"It's because our customers are so colourful that first direct does banking in black and white. We wanted to get under the skin of these interesting characters to find out just what makes them tick."
The next biggest driver of our intrinsic eccentricity is the class system (35 per cent) while a third (32 per cent) say it's because Britain is not truly European. A quarter (24 per cent) think being an island fosters quirky characters and one in five (20 per cent) credit the monarchy. Just three per cent associate wealth with eccentricity in modern society.
When it comes to breaking away from the norm, two thirds (62.5 per cent) of us believe Britain is the most free-spirited, creative and non-conformist nation of the top five Western European countries*.
The research predicts a continued trend of appreciating the peculiar and irreverent. Brits will increasingly be attracted to people and brands that are not afraid to express themselves in a personable, quirky manner - a manner which reflects the colourful nature and the intrinsically alternative mindset of contemporary Britain.
-Ends-
For more information or to request a copy of the first direct 'Colourful Lives' report, please contact: Melanie Corbett on 07727 012054 / Melanie@brando-world.com or Emily Phillips on 07853 186821 / Emily@brando-world.com
Notes to Editors:
Findings reported here are taken from the first of five chapters of the first direct Colourful Lives Report by the Future Foundation commissioned by first direct to mark its 21st birthday.
Each of the forthcoming chapters will aim to capture the essence of quirky individualism in the UK. This first chapter - A Truly British Character - explores to what extent eccentricity is unique to Britain and how its definition is evolving.
A note on methodology - the research was conducted online among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Britons aged 16+ in June 2010.
*Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Germany
Celebrity Eccentric Idols:
Top five traditional eccentrics
- Boris Johnson (42 per cent)
- John McCririck (40 per cent)
- Patrick Moore (37 per cent)
- Stephen Fry (33 per cent)
- Chris Eubank (32 per cent)
Top five 'modern' eccentrics
- Vivienne Westwood (40 per cent)
- Boy George (36 per cent)
- Russell Brand (35 per cent)
- Gok Wan (30 per cent)
- The Osbournes (30 per cent)
