Cadbury Secret Santa
Cadbury
Issue 62 | March 2022
Agency
VCCP London
Creative Team
Executive Creative Directors Chris Birch, Jonny Parker Creative Directors Angus Vine Creatives Aly Golani, Emma Jackson
Production Team
Integrated Project Director Jon Dewart Agency Creative Producer Diana Turchi
Other Credits
VCCP Head Of Mondelez UK Matt Smith Senior Account Director Gen Hole Account Director Catherine Tilley Account Executive Fiona Hanna Planning Director Ollie Gilmore Planner Lloyd Scott Media Buying Carat PR Golin Organic Social Elvis Client Marketing Director David Clements Senior Brand Manager Emma Paxton Brand Manager Amy Lucas Junior Brand Manager Josep Sallares
Date
December 2021
Background
At Christmas, Cadbury wanted to remember its Quaker roots by supporting The Trussell Trust, a network of over 1,200 food banks fighting to end food poverty in the UK.
Idea
The Cadbury Secret Santa Postal Service let people send chocolate secretly and completely free to a loved one between 25th November and 18th December. In partnership with The Trussell Trust, for every Secret Santa sent, Cadbury donated a second chocolate bar to a food bank in the Trussell Trust network.
To make their gift, all people had to do was turn up at a Cadbury Postal Centre (in Edinburgh, at Anfield, home to Liverpool FC, London’s South Bank, Manchester City football stadium and in Central Birmingham) and provide the address of the person they wanted to surprise.
11,000 bars were also made available online to Secret Santas. Media partnerships with Bauer Media, LadBible and The Times promoted The Trussell Trust through the lens of Secret Santa. Advertising on TV, VOD, cinema, radio, social and OOH used the line ‘Send chocolate secretly to someone you love.’
Results
Not yet available.
Our Thoughts
The core thought here is about ‘a glass and a half of joy’ and what can be more joyous than getting a bar of choccy through the post from an anonymous friend/admirer? It’s like St. Valentine’s Day but with calories. Mail continues to be the best-kept secret in marketing. This is the fourth year in a row Cadbury have turned to the post to whip up some brand love at Christmas, which tells you something.
As well as supporting the brand positioning, the freebies are, of course, a heavy hint to people to go to Cadbury Direct and send more formal gifts they can put their names to and receive thanks for. So, there’s some hard-nosed marketing behind the altruism.