Easter’s been and gone. Along with any shred of evidence that there was ever any chocolate in my flat. Oops. Despite the weekly meditation sessions here at the office, I still haven’t mastered the art of zen-like self-discipline. Hopefully that gets covered in the session next week. Anyway. Back to the point.
At the beginning of the month we did a round-up of the best Easter adverts so far. Now that the season is over, it’s time to wrap things up by paying our respects to the brands that got creative with their adverts as the season unfolded.
SPOILER ALERT: This post contains content that will trigger unquenchable cravings for unhealthy food. You’ve been warned.
Let’s get to it.
Bailey’s: Spring Shake Showdown
As a Literature graduate, I’ve got a penchant for a little word wizardry. So, the alliterative title of this Bailey’s Instagram post got me giddy before I’d even hit play. And it didn’t disappoint.
If you read the last post, you’ll know I pretty much called for a boycott on egg puns. So, you’ll be surprised to see that this ad’s drenched in them. But, in this case, it really works. Credit to the creative team behind the ad for the quirky animated type work they’ve done. It works elegantly with the video-footage to breathe life into a tired cliché.
That said, let’s face it, when you’re filming the creation of Bailey’s ice-cream shakes poured into open Easter eggs (the ideal makeshift glass), and then doused with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with mini eggs, you’re hard pushed to get it wrong. Now, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to pop out and grab a bottle of Bailey’s, a tub of salted caramel ice cream and a blender…
Hotel Chocolat: Easter Instagram Campaign
Although I’ll be looking at one post in particular, Hotel Chocolat’s whole Easter Instagram campaign ticked boxes for creativity and effectiveness. The combination of high-quality, themed photography and insanely rich-looking chocolate against vibrant colourful backgrounds pulls drool from your mouth with serious gravitational force.
(If you’re on a post-holiday health-kick, I strongly advise you not to visit their account!)
They’ve even created an Easter mascot in the form of a delicious-looking caramel-filled bunny that pops up in a number of posts. Although bunnies at Easter is nothing new, the incorporation of one as a mascot, sneaking its way into a variety of brand materials, is a creative spin on the Easter cliché. And the cute bunny-face is bound to drive engagement with readers.
But the standout post is the one featured below. With a caption that playfully riffs around Easter references, without a single one of the over-used egg puns I whined about in the last post. From the Hotel Chocolat Instagram:
Their ears pricked up the moment we mentioned a trip to the big city, and now our dapper bunnies are bow-tied and ready to join the rabbit race. Hop along with our malty, not-too-sweet caramel chocolate warren– an Easter gift that’s sure to make for some happy bunnies of your own!
Burger King: Open Over Easter
When it comes down to it, advertising has two key purposes. First, it needs to create desire for a product. And second, it needs to communicate information clearly and succinctly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. With just one image and three words, this stripped back Easter ad from Burger King has done both. A masterclass in simple, effective marketing.
The truth is, most marketers love to be creative. But, sometimes, they can sacrifice clarity in favour of artistic pursuit. While using an egg in an Easter advert might not scream creativity, the ‘burger egg’ in this ad is far from what you’d expect to see. It’s undeniably different, which is why it’s guaranteed to grab attention when it’s plastered across a billboard.
The advert was released in Switzerland. Since most restaurants are closed there on Easter Sunday, BK wanted to let their Swiss audience know that they’d still be open to deliver a mouth-watering burger. You know, if you’re like me and need more food because you finished all the chocolate by midday.
Until next time!
Every year it gets more difficult for brands to set themselves apart from the crowd and push their advertising in new and exciting directions. So it’s good to see brands flexing their creative muscles to deliver interesting advertising materials that break away from boring, over-used clichés.
That’s all for this Easter, which really is a shame. Mostly because I’ll now have to wait until Halloween before somebody buys me any more chocolate. But, by all means, feel free to take pity and send some into the studio as we’re currently accepting donations.
