Do you remember Jason Donovan and Kim Wilde from the 80s? Cadbury is banking on your nostalgic knowledge to promote its new Cadbury Darkmilk bar.
Cadbury has unveiled a nostalgic campaign to celebrate all things ‘grown up’ with 80s and 90s icons Jason Donovan and Kim Wilde to speak directly to those familiar with pop culture from both decades – and invite them to try out the new chocolate bar.
The campaign speaks “solely to those” who remember Jason’s mullet from his Neighbours and early pop star days (and the ‘wedding of the decade’ with Kylie Minogue) or who know all the words to Wilde’s number one hit, Kids in America. All the while playfully nodding to those who don’t.
Cadbury Darkmilk is touted as the richest and creamiest bar Cadbury has ever made. The launch marks the first time in 20 years that Cadbury has developed a completely new type of chocolate.
The first burst of TV, which airs on 20 April during ‘The Durrell’s’ and ‘Victoria’, sees Donovan and Wilde explain how the new taste of Cadbury Darkmilk has been made especially for people who are ‘a bit grown up’ – with various nods to pop culture references of yesteryear, only familiar to those who were a part of these defining decades.
Throughout the last week of April, Dark Milk will have a presence in Coronation Street and Emmerdale on ITV1, First Dates and When I Grow Up on Channel 4. While the ad will also make an appearance during Neighbours on 5TV, on 26 April.
Accompanying the TVC will be a series of short playful films for digital and social channels, using ‘behind the scenes’ footage from the TV shoot. These clips show crew staff in their teens and 20s clearly failing to recognise Donovan in person. In addition, there will be a heavy digital, social, PR and sampling of five million bars to support.
Peter Seymour, Cadbury’s category director of chocolate for Northern Europe, said: “We know our audience are looking for a new and more grown up taste when it comes to chocolate so we’ve introduced Cadbury Darkmilk to give a rich and creamy alternative for a delicious chocolate treat. To match this, our films bring our grown-up audience face to face with iconic stars of their younger years who are sharing some of those classic memories that brought us all together back in the day.”
Chris Birch and Jonny Parker, creative directors, VCCP stated: “Darkmilk is for people who remember recording the top 40 on cassette and wearing naf naf jeans. So, we thought it’d be brilliant to use the people they used to have on their bedroom wall to introduce Darkmilk to them – y'know, now that they’re all grown up and that.”
See the work by clicking on the Creative Works box below.
: 'It's a bit grown up'