Cadbury urges consumers to ‘follow their generous instinct’ in Secret Santa-themed ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxVxPLFtoNA&feature=youtu.be

Cadbury wants to encourage consumers to be generous by urging people to anonymously give their friends and relatives a chocolate treat this Christmas.

The Secret Santa-themed ad, which will air for the first time this evening (9 November) during Channel 4’s Gogglebox, was created by VCCP and follows a series of sneaky gift givers wearing Santa masks who try and leave loved ones a present without being detected.

From a little girl covertly delivering her teacher a bar of Dairy Milk, to a woman sneaking out of a factory after adding a box of Cadbury Heroes to the conveyor belt for her friend, the ad features a variety of Cadbury products and looks to encourage “just because” gift giving.

The £5m campaign will kick off with a 40-second TV ad followed by a series of digital, experiential and PR activations that will enable people across the UK to become a Secret Santa.

Benazir Barlet-Batada, brand equity lead for Cadbury says: “Christmas is a magical time of year that brings out that generous instinct that we believe everyone has inside them. Cadbury chocolate has been synonymous with a thoughtful gift throughout the years, so aligning with the ritual of Secret Santa felt like the perfect pairing for our new Christmas advert.”

The ad is part of Cadbury’s new positioning, which is focused on “kindness and generosity”, the founding principles of the brand and its founder, philanthropist John Cadbury.

It follows the arrival of the chocolate brand’s first TV ad for Cadbury Roses in more than 20 years. Launched at the end of September to mark its 80th anniversary, the campaign follows a young boy who says “roses” instead of thank you on a number of occasions before his dad realises he’s overheard two teachers discussing how the best way to say thank you is with Roses.