Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Before the pandemic, gifting was the fastest-growing sector, with Diwali gifting alone accounting for nearly 50% of Cadbury Celebrations' yearly revenue. However, the second wave presented challenges such as inflation, diminished opportunities, and decreased income.
CHALLENGE
What strategies can we employ to boost the brand's market penetration despite socio-economic challenges?
SOLUTION
Let's return to Cadbury's core purpose of generosity, which is deeply embedded in its founding values, to counteract the prevailing trend of self-centeredness and revive the brand's essence.
INSIGHT
Our research revealed that during times of crisis, such as the peak of the Covid outbreak, people experienced a heightened sense of connection and togetherness when they extended help to one another. This was evident as individuals collaborated to locate hospitals, secure oxygen cylinders, and provide care for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The collective experience of facing adversity fostered a profound sense of empathy and generosity, ultimately fostering a strong sense of community among individuals.
STRATEGY
Revitalize the community spirit through acts of empathy. Transform Cadbury Celebrations' marketing strategy into a platform for unexpected generosity, aimed at breaking free from the clutches of a self-centeredness pandemic and reigniting the essence of collective compassion.
IDEA
To inspire generosity and encourage kindness, we led by example by reallocating our entire advertising budget and enlisting the support of our Celebrity brand ambassador to uplift small businesses during their time of struggle.
EXECUTION
Just imagine the impact when Shah Rukh Khan, the world-renowned movie star, personally endorsed shopping at local stores, igniting a sense of pride among small business owners. Leveraging advanced technology like data analytics, AI, and machine learning, we created hyper-personalized ads featuring SRK for thousands of stores across 500+ pin codes. These ads were strategically targeted to encourage purchases from specific local stores, reaching millions of users on YouTube and Meta platforms simultaneously. Recognizing that not all stores could be covered, we empowered users to create their own versions of the ad through the website NotJustACadburyAd.com, allowing them to support their favorite businesses and share the message within their communities via WhatsApp and social media.
AWARDS
- Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions 2023
CREDITS
Brand: Cadbury (Mondelez).
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy Mumbai (India).
PR: Ogilvy Mumbai (India).
Production: Pack Films Mumbai ; Deltax Bangalore ; Rephrase.AI Bangalore.
Media: Wavemaker.
Ogilvy Mumbai
Chief Creative Officer, India: Sukesh Nayak.
Chief Creative Officer, India: Kainaz Karmakar.
Chief Creative Officer, India: Harshad Rajadhyaksha.
Chief Creative Officer, India, Copywriter: Sukesh Nayak.
Senior Executive Creative Director, Copywriter: Neville Shah.
Group Creative Director, Copywriter: Hemant Sharma.
Senior Creative Director, Art Director: Sagar Jadhav.
Head Of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy Mumbai: Ganapathy Balagopalan.
Senior Vice President – Planning: Bhakti Malik.
Planning Director: Prasidh Dalvi.
Senior Planner: Anushka Mukherjee.
President & Head of Office, Ogilvy Gurugram: Prakash Nair.
President and Head of Office, Mumbai and Kolkata: Hirol Gandhi.
Senior Vice President: Antara Mitra.
Client Services Director: Parshuram Mendekar.
Group Account Manager: Smita Sodhia.
Managing Director: Anil Viswanathan.
Vice President, Marketing, India: Nitin Saini.
Cadbury (Mondelez)
Category Manager: Varun Peety.
Consumer Experience Lead – India & Bangladesh: Anjali Krishnan.
Consumer Experience Manager: Yash Desai.
Wavemaker
Chief Client Officer & Office Head, West: Shekhar Banerjee.
General Manager: Naina Shewakramani.
Client Partner: Harsha Vardhan Desireddy.
General Manager: Brajesh Dwivedi.
Client Leader - Digital Client Leadership: Adhir Anand.
Delivery Leader: Apeksha Dhuri.
Associate Business Director - Digital Planning: Monika Solanki.
Business Director: Pratik Dawda.
Consumer Journey Activation Lead: Rupesh Shah.
Director of Innovation - IMC: Chintan Thakker.
Video copyright: Cannes Lions (canneslions.com) and The Work (lovethework.com).
Before the pandemic, gifting was the fastest-growing sector, with Diwali gifting alone accounting for nearly 50% of Cadbury Celebrations' yearly revenue. However, the second wave presented challenges such as inflation, diminished opportunities, and decreased income.
CHALLENGE
What strategies can we employ to boost the brand's market penetration despite socio-economic challenges?
SOLUTION
Let's return to Cadbury's core purpose of generosity, which is deeply embedded in its founding values, to counteract the prevailing trend of self-centeredness and revive the brand's essence.
INSIGHT
Our research revealed that during times of crisis, such as the peak of the Covid outbreak, people experienced a heightened sense of connection and togetherness when they extended help to one another. This was evident as individuals collaborated to locate hospitals, secure oxygen cylinders, and provide care for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The collective experience of facing adversity fostered a profound sense of empathy and generosity, ultimately fostering a strong sense of community among individuals.
STRATEGY
Revitalize the community spirit through acts of empathy. Transform Cadbury Celebrations' marketing strategy into a platform for unexpected generosity, aimed at breaking free from the clutches of a self-centeredness pandemic and reigniting the essence of collective compassion.
IDEA
To inspire generosity and encourage kindness, we led by example by reallocating our entire advertising budget and enlisting the support of our Celebrity brand ambassador to uplift small businesses during their time of struggle.
EXECUTION
Just imagine the impact when Shah Rukh Khan, the world-renowned movie star, personally endorsed shopping at local stores, igniting a sense of pride among small business owners. Leveraging advanced technology like data analytics, AI, and machine learning, we created hyper-personalized ads featuring SRK for thousands of stores across 500+ pin codes. These ads were strategically targeted to encourage purchases from specific local stores, reaching millions of users on YouTube and Meta platforms simultaneously. Recognizing that not all stores could be covered, we empowered users to create their own versions of the ad through the website NotJustACadburyAd.com, allowing them to support their favorite businesses and share the message within their communities via WhatsApp and social media.
AWARDS
- Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions 2023
CREDITS
Brand: Cadbury (Mondelez).
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy Mumbai (India).
PR: Ogilvy Mumbai (India).
Production: Pack Films Mumbai ; Deltax Bangalore ; Rephrase.AI Bangalore.
Media: Wavemaker.
Ogilvy Mumbai
Chief Creative Officer, India: Sukesh Nayak.
Chief Creative Officer, India: Kainaz Karmakar.
Chief Creative Officer, India: Harshad Rajadhyaksha.
Chief Creative Officer, India, Copywriter: Sukesh Nayak.
Senior Executive Creative Director, Copywriter: Neville Shah.
Group Creative Director, Copywriter: Hemant Sharma.
Senior Creative Director, Art Director: Sagar Jadhav.
Head Of Strategic Planning, Ogilvy Mumbai: Ganapathy Balagopalan.
Senior Vice President – Planning: Bhakti Malik.
Planning Director: Prasidh Dalvi.
Senior Planner: Anushka Mukherjee.
President & Head of Office, Ogilvy Gurugram: Prakash Nair.
President and Head of Office, Mumbai and Kolkata: Hirol Gandhi.
Senior Vice President: Antara Mitra.
Client Services Director: Parshuram Mendekar.
Group Account Manager: Smita Sodhia.
Managing Director: Anil Viswanathan.
Vice President, Marketing, India: Nitin Saini.
Cadbury (Mondelez)
Category Manager: Varun Peety.
Consumer Experience Lead – India & Bangladesh: Anjali Krishnan.
Consumer Experience Manager: Yash Desai.
Wavemaker
Chief Client Officer & Office Head, West: Shekhar Banerjee.
General Manager: Naina Shewakramani.
Client Partner: Harsha Vardhan Desireddy.
General Manager: Brajesh Dwivedi.
Client Leader - Digital Client Leadership: Adhir Anand.
Delivery Leader: Apeksha Dhuri.
Associate Business Director - Digital Planning: Monika Solanki.
Business Director: Pratik Dawda.
Consumer Journey Activation Lead: Rupesh Shah.
Director of Innovation - IMC: Chintan Thakker.
Video copyright: Cannes Lions (canneslions.com) and The Work (lovethework.com).
