2012 Gold FMCG

Client Kraft

How did the campaign make a difference? It's hard to launch a product if the thought of it makes people grimace. This campaign created a frenzy of interest by playing on people's fear of missing out. By the day Philadelphia with Cadbury launched, 100 influencers had generated over one million views, making this the most successful ever UK launch of a new Philly flavour.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? People are suspicious of combining chocolate and cheese – their reaction is at best intrigue and at worst revulsion. This needed a pre-launch based on a different influencer strategy: not just bloggers, but contemporaries of the audience. Philly fans love cooking, eating and enjoying Philadelphia, so the challenge was to find the keenest and get them talking about how yummy this new product was, ahead of launch, with no media budget and no above the line. Playing on the human insight of FOMO (fear of missing out), the ‘Very Important Philly’ pre-launch teaser brought together Facebook and Direct Marketing to create a frenzy about the new flavour, without revealing what it was. By focusing on the anticipation instead of the product, it became extremely desirable. Getting influencers to taste and recommend it was way more believable than advertising. And the rest of the audience would avoid suspicion and just be desperate for the stuff.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? Philadelphia with Cadbury may well be delicious, but in the social world it would be crude to just say that. This two-phase campaign started with a Facebook tab announcing a secret new Philadelphia flavour. It wasn’t announced, to let fans discover it – and it said they needed a unique code to receive one of the 100 sample packs. This approach found the most committed fans: special Philly challenges set every day saw unprecedented responses and helped select those who’d be turned into influencers. Phase two delivered the secret to their doorsteps: a VIP sample pack, an inspiration booklet and a lovely letter asking them to share their thoughts with the rest of the Philly community. One day before launch, these Very Important Philly influencers were applauding the flavour on Facebook – leaving everybody else still desperate to try it.

Results The campaign generated a huge level of interest. No paid-for-media and only 100 sample packs generated 1,225,118 free media impressions. The activity generated 90% positive reviews on the launch day, helping people overcome their initial suspicion. Finally, and most importantly, this was most successful launch ever of a new flavour for Philadelphia in the UK, even outselling the previous biggest-selling flavour, Garlic & Herb.

Team Caitlin Ryan - Executive Creative Director, Nick Moffat - Creative Partner, Anja Muller - Copywriter, Nick Shay - Art Director, Ewa Kwolek - Account Director, Alex Schrembri - Digital Developer, Joel Butt - Designer, Neeta Norton - Production Manager, Helen Nicholson - Producer, Jonny Miles-Prouten - Senior Account Director, Nicolas Moerman - Senior Planner