Is This Cadbury’s Sweetest Advert Yet?

Iconic confectionery brand, Cadbury, has released a brand new campaign to tackle loneliness, more specifically amongst those in the elderly community. In Cadbury’s latest advert it’s claimed that over 1.4 million older people struggle with loneliness in the UK alone, and as such, Cadbury felt they had to do something about it.

It’s also been reported that over 225,000 older people go a whole week without speaking to anyone, including their family or friends, with one common reason being that many of their loved ones have passed away. In an act of kindness, Cadbury have released a limited edition version of their famous Dairy Milk bar, with 30p of each bar sold being donated to Age UK, the UK’s largest charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life.

The iconic Dairy Milk bar will be stripped of its words and advertising, leaving only its symbolic glasses of milk, in an attempt to draw customer attention and bolster Cadbury’s powerful message to ‘Donate Your Words’.

To clarify, the message is an attempt to get people to reignite conversations with their elders, bridging the growing gap between youth & experience, and preventing what can only be described as a tear-jerking realisation of how society has passed by this forgotten generation.

In times where depression, anxiety & loneliness are so common, a gesture as small as “Hello” could brighten someones day, or even save their life.

How you can help

Age UK and Cadbury have joined forces, fighting for the well-being of the elder generations in Britain, with their latest advert highlighting a crisis that senior members of society face everyday.

Together, they’ve identified ways that you can help elder members of your community, not only by purchasing a limited edition Dairy Milk bar (and donating to Age UK), but also by…

• Starting a conversation with an older person. Even if its just small talk about football, the weather or what they had for dinner last night, starting a conversation with an older person could make their day. Don’t sweat about what to say, it’s the thought that counts.
• Phone an elderly relative. Got an uncle, aunt, gran or granddad that you can call? Even if they’re in a relationship or seemingly have friends to hang out with, just give them a call and show them that you care. You never really know how people are feeling behind closed doors, so don’t be hesitant to make that effort.
• Check in on a neighbour. I know that in my mother’s homeland of Portugal, everyone on her street would know and talk to each other, however I’m aware that that’s not always the case in the UK. Friendships with neighbours can at times be a rarity, but that doesn’t mean that just because you haven’t spoken before that you can’t start talking now.
• Volunteer. Aside from making the donation when you purchase a limited edition Dairy Milk bar, you can also volunteer with Age UK and donate your time to start making a difference with the elder community.

On the note of being kind and spreading positivity, i’m going to leave you with arguably the greatest advert of all time…

Cadbury’s ‘Gorilla’ Advert

Who could forget this intriguing take on Phil Collin’s hit-single, In The Air Tonight, featuring a focused Gorilla, setting itself for one of the greatest drum solos ever recorded. What does it have to do with chocolate? I’m not sure, but do I still think about this ad after twelve years? Heck yes.

Conclusion

Often the greatest form of marketing is to just be kind, and Cadbury’s latest advert is no exception to that. Although the confectionery brand can afford to take a risk in removing their branding from their products, it’s not to say that you can’t put kindness at the forefront of your marketing campaigns & business in general. That being said, I feel if you’re going to go down that route – then do it for the right reasons.

Is Cadbury’s Gorilla advert the greatest ad of all time? Let me know in the comments below