Smarties has said a successful brand advertises its promise to consumers, but above all it invests in its ‘distinctive assets’, elements such as logos, colours and taglines that trigger memories of the brand and make a purchase more likely. In the brain, recognition and liking are closely intertwined.
The shape of a product or its packaging is another very powerful way to signal the distinctiveness of a brand, with many famous examples in confectionery: Toblerone’s mountainous triangles, Ferrero Rocher’s golden clusters or Kit-Kat’s fingers, to name just three.
But when it comes to seasonal offerings, confectionery brands often default to generic moulded shapes with a bolted-on logo.
Yet seasonal special editions are good business. Whilst some consumers are buying less confectionery on a day-to-day basis, they still want to treat their loved ones at key seasonal occasions, and they are prepared to pay more.
Spotting an opportunity, Nestlé partnered with the combined skill sets of our two agencies (Osborne Pike and Studio Davis) to create more engaging seasonal gifting ranges for the Smarties brand.
They collaborated for over 10 years because they say they are convinced that combining 2D and 3D creates more distinctive branding, and brand value.
Testing their ideas with 3D printed models, consumers warmed to the character designs and packaging ‘made from’ the brand’s distinctive assets: the ‘lentil’ form, the rainbow of colours and shakeability. Christmas sales of the comprehensive range, from 11g impulse single figures to a full character ‘family’ gift set, showed a 75% YOY increase.
But ‘Smarticons’ are not just for Christmas. Coming soon: Smarties Easter Bunnies, and more…
