How System1 Guidance Helped Launch Rügenwalder Mühle into the Top 3% of German TV Ads
When iconic German food brand Rügenwalder Mühle set out to launch a new brand campaign, the goal was clear: to build a genuine emotional connection with consumers through a message rooted in enjoyment, both of great food and of the togetherness it creates. Just as importantly, the brand needed to remain front and centre throughout, unmistakable, memorable, and seamlessly woven into the story.
Rügenwalder Mühle is a traditional brand with a 190-year history and has been the pioneer in the sausage and meat substitute market in Germany since 2014. It is the market and innovation leader in the category with a brand awareness of 91%; almost everyone knows the red mill and has grown up with the brand and its iconic adverts.
Rather than focusing on a single product, the campaign centered on the brand’s inclusive promise. Guided by the slogan “It tastes best when everyone likes it,” it highlighted the breadth of the portfolio and reinforced Rügenwalder Mühle’s commitment to welcoming everyone to the table, regardless of individual preferences.
In times of uncertainty, people increasingly long for simple, relaxed moments of togetherness and connection. The end of the working day captures this everyday sense of anticipation and relief. In 1996, Rügenwalder Mühle brought this “Feierabend” feeling to life in a memorable commercial featuring the iconic Feierabend song. Now, nearly 30 years later, the brand is reviving that emotional touchpoint as a symbol of shared, uncomplicated enjoyment.
By leveraging signature brand assets such as its distinctive “Feierabend” song, slogan, and integrated audio-visual cues, early testing on System1’s Test Your Ad platform indicated strong effectiveness. The ad delivered good long-term growth potential, earning a 3.9 Star Rating, alongside strong short-term sales potential (Spike Rating) and an impressive 92% brand recall (Fluency Rating).
With the ambition to elevate performance even further, Rügenwalder Mühle partnered with System1’s expert consultants to optimise the creative. Together, they identified a clear opportunity to unlock additional emotional impact by strengthening the ad’s closing moments. While the overall narrative was already received positively, creating a more defined and uplifting “positive peak” at the end, centred on togetherness, would help the ad leave more of a lasting impression and further enhance long-term memory.
Alongside this optimisation, System1’s consultants highlighted several existing strengths that formed a powerful foundation for future campaigns. The strong sense of togetherness, natural and authentic character casting, a clear and engaging storyline, and the consistent integration of distinctive audio and visual brand cues were all contributing meaningfully to the ad’s effectiveness. Maintaining these elements would ensure the brand continued to build emotional connection while remaining clearly recognisable.
Eager to act on System1’s recommendations, the Rügenwalder Mühle team refined the creative by placing greater emphasis on the peak ending, making targeted adjustments to the sequencing of the final scenes. The revised ad was then retested using System1’s Test Your Ad platform.
The results demonstrated the power of small creative changes. The optimised ad achieved a 4.7 Star Rating, propelling it into the top 3% of German TV advertising, while the Spike Rating increased from ‘Strong’ to ‘Exceptional’, signalling outstanding short-term sales potential.
The outcome reinforced Rügenwalder Mühle’s ability to combine emotional storytelling, inclusive brand values, and creative effectiveness, proving that even subtle refinements, when guided by the right insights, can deliver meaningful results.
“System1’s Guidance showed us that even small creative tweaks can make a big difference. Their input was clear, practical, and helped us sharpen what was already working while staying true to the story. We’re thrilled with the results and excited to build on this in future campaigns,” said Anne Haverich, Head of Brand Communication, Rügenwalder Mühle
"System1’s Guidance showed us that even small creative tweaks can make a big difference. Their input was clear, practical, and helped us sharpen what was already working while staying true to the story. We’re thrilled with the results and excited to build on this in future campaigns."
Anne Haverich, Head of Brand Communication Rügenwalder Mühle
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