Cadbury from Mondelez India defines chocolate in India. There are other brands like Amul, Ferro Rocher, Nestle, Hershey, Mars available in the country, but it’s Cadbury which has the highest TOMA ( Top Of Mind Awareness). It has slowly moved from primarily a taste-based reason and celebration, to a new symbol of romance.
Chocolate Romance
Romance and sharing are chocolate category cues. ‘How Far Will You Go For Love’ campaign launched with Valentine’s Day 2020 can be seen as an attempt to dominate or strongly associate romance with its products. As ever before the brands, films remain very simple and always leave you with a smile. There is something Khas ( special) with brand films. The subtle communication is beautifully crafted and leave you with happiness for being part of someone’s expression of love. You want to the person on the screen, loving or being loved.
This simplicity and directness of a very focused incident are visually rendered for you. It has always been the case with Cadbury. Even if the setting was a hospital bed, conference room or even a stage.
The Cadbury Chocolates Umbrella film recently released is consistent with the brand imagery and a treat to watch. There could not have been a simpler storyline rendered simply. I am also a fan of these almost devoid of dialogue communication. Everything is in the eyes, moments, gesture, expression and smile. Possible because they involve two people in love.
A boy is on the roof of a building and is holding an umbrella. He is moving from one roof to another so that he can provide shade to his ladylove walking on the pavement below. Wow.
The choice of cast and the expressions and just brilliant. The indulgence with chocolate is a well-entrenched part of the story. You just want to the girl on that pavement or the guy on the roof. And, you know how consistent the emotion and its expression are.
It is pure magic in its simplicity and may lead to many more such expressions of love. Here love is demonstrative, conversationalist with active engagement. I am not sure if the brand should / would /could experiment with a slightly elderly couple or senior couple, in which the SBI ad ‘hera kya jane tumahri umar’ is a classic.
Cadbury UGC
One can find many user-generated films around Cadbury chocolate on YouTube. Many are part of the contest. Watch Bahubali singing the Cadbury song. Kiss me, close your eyes. And another one dedicated to ever-hungry boyfriend.
Sharing Chocolate Expression Of Love
Cadbury chocolate was always about sharing. However, in real-life sharing of Cadbury chocolate was the last thing in mind. You wanted it for yourself. And that is the beauty of pushing sharing. It is all after establishing taste superiority.
Now, will Cadbury Silk succeed in making sharing a definitive symbolic expression of love is something we will have to wait for? Chocolate is anyway big in the romance vocabulary, and the shift needs consistent efforts.
Cadbury Flashback
Whenever one talks of chocolate advertising or Cadbury chocolates in India, the fame ‘Asli Swad Zindagi ka’ cannot be missed. It has been an iconic piece of advertising for many reasons and a foundation that the brand leverages. Here is the film, just for reference.
A classic case of the client getting the creative they deserve. I think we will see many films under ‘How Far Will You Go For Love’ campaign. I hope they are as brilliant and as simple as the umbrella one. Till that time, let me bite onto a new pack of Cadbury Silk, or better still share it with the love of my life, my dear wife. And, if she asks why this sudden unexpected gesture, I can say, ‘Blame it on Cadbury’
BLOG/42/2004- first published in MXMINDIA.COM weekly column KOTMARTIAL
