A Simple Style Keeps Cadbury’s Creme Egg Fresh

Cadbury Creme Eggs are one of the company’s most distinctive brands. They have their own slogan – “How Do You Eat Yours?” – and stand as a special treat even among Cadbury’s wide range, since they’re only on sale for a third of the year.

It’s no surprise Creme Egg ads are some of Cadbury’s boldest and most memorable. Last year for instance, the brand made headlines with an ad showing two men sharing a kiss and a creme egg, which sparked a protest, then an even bigger counter-protest defending the commercial.

This year’s Creme Egg campaign isn’t likely to spark controversy. But it’s a great example of the confident, individual style Cadbury’s and agency VCCP London have developed across their campaigns – a style which strips ads back to some of their most basic elements.

This year there’s a twist on the standard slogan – “How Do You NOT Eat Yours?” asks the ad. Cadbury have hidden a number of special eggs in amongst the normal ones – and these eggs can be exchanged for cash prizes. So if you get one, eating it is a bad idea. But for the lucky winners shown in the ads, a prize egg is a curse as well as a blessing. You get the money – but you don’t get to eat the egg.

The “Bed” commercial lays this dilemma out, as a man’s late night snack turns out to be one of the valuable eggs. “Bed” is a remarkably minimalist ad. There’s no voiceover, no music, just a man and woman in bed, talking about an egg. Maybe it shouldn’t work, but it does, getting a strong 4.5-Star score and exceptional short-term Spike and Brand Fluency ratings.

These high scores are thanks to the comic timing, the acting and the high level of right-brained ‘betweenness’ in the ad. With a human connection that feels warm and natural, you don’t need all the trimmings of standard ads – in fact hard sales messaging or fancy effects would just distract from the ad’s simple story. It’s a lesson Cadbury have learned well – their recent 5-Star “Fence” commercial is one of our highest scoring ads of recent years, and strips out music and voiceover in a similar way. When it comes to ads, Cadbury understand less can be more.