Cadbury is celebrating its 200-year relationship with the chocolate-loving British public with a nostalgic birthday campaign centered around an emotional reboot of a classic advert.
Created by the brand’s agency of record VCCP, the ‘Yours for 200 Years’ campaign features a touching film and range of supporting assets, developed in honour of Cadbury’s undeniable status as an important part of British culture.
The 60-second spot is a nod to the brand’s much loved ‘Mum’s Birthday’ campaign. It takes viewers through two centuries of British life, beginning in 1824 and travelling through time as it tells the story of a girl giving her mum a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk for her birthday.
The setting changes subtly as time, technology and fashions evolve, but the poignant story remains the same.
Made by VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear and the award-winning director Frederic Planchon who directed the original 2018 film, the emotional retelling of the classic advert centres on the idea of shared moments of generosity.
Body doubles and post-production techniques were used to recreate the scene between the shopkeeper and the girl who is now five years older, with post-production managed by Selected Works.
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The film is further supported by a set of OOH adverts and social posts which put the British public right at the heart of the campaign, celebrating how Cadbury products feature in their memories.
‘Your Cadbury Photos’ were selected from pictures submitted from old family albums, featuring images of people enjoying iconic products such as Flake 99 ice creams, Easter eggs and Christmas treats. Handled by Publicis Media, these images will feature on billboards and campaign assets across the UK.
Further OOH ads have also been specially designed to allow the brand to tip its hat to Cadbury Dairy Milk’s famous branding. Each ad has been created in the style of a different era, celebrating iconic designs and retro artwork to evoke previous campaigns.
In a final blast of nostalgia, limited-edition Cadbury Dairy Milk bars will feature classic designs, supporting the brand’s partner charities Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland and reinforcing the link between shared moments, family and memory.
“This is a very special moment for us. It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to celebrate a 200th anniversary,” said Cadbury senior marketing director Elise Burditt.
“But for us this is so much more than that – it’s celebrating 200 years of being part of the lives of the British public and recognising that we wouldn’t be here today without them.
“We want to demonstrate that the values upon which was founded in Birmingham 200 years ago still ring true today with people, and with a generous spirit at the heart of everything we do.”
VCCP London executive creative directors Chris Birch and Jonny Parker added: “Crikey. 200 years old. That only happens when you have the relationship with the British public that Cadbury has.”
“This work celebrates every Christmas morning Selection Box, every school trouser pocket Curly Wurly, every drippy Flake 99, every Dairy Milk on the sofa and everyone in Britain who’s munched them down since 1824. Happy Birthday Cadbury.”
