Cadbury, has launched a latest ad campaign for its Heroes range in a 22 minute-long film shot by First Dates director David Symmons and producer Rob Clifford.
The spot represents Cadbury Heroes’ first foray into original content. Called ‘Families Reunited’, the series shows real parents trying to reconnect with their distant teens by going on a “crash course” to understand their hobbies. It was developed by VCCP London.
Episode one, for example, tells the story of a dad who hasn’t been on a bike in 15 years learning to ride like his son while the second episode, which launches on 23 October, focuses on a truck-driving mum learning to figure skate like her eldest son.
It’s been backed with a £4.5m investment into the brand, which comes as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
“It’s a brand often in the home where entertainment is: in the lounge, being shared. So, we thought we could make our own entertainment and find ways to share that with people,” explained Michael Moore, senior brand manager at Mondelez.
“The longform content is one part of an overall media plan. We’ll still be using VOD, Facebook, Instagram, selected regular TV. But it will be directing people to watch this brilliant entertainment film we’ve made that’s 20 minutes long. We’re seeing that shift to people streaming content online so it does still fit with the habits that people are displaying already.”
READ ALSO: BRAND FACTS on Bournvita
In addition to the digital investment it’s also forged partnerships with Spotify to curate a branded playlist for families and Global Radio.
Though it’s an experiment in how people engage with longer-form branded content, Moore said the metrics it’s measuring have not changed. The Mondelez-owned brand has to “follow the laws of growth,” he added, saying it will want to achieve the reach and frequency of “any normal campaign”.
Yetunde Adegoke
