Will Indians End Their Day With Bournville?

Mondelez India's recent ad campaign for Cadbury Bournville gives consumers a clearly demarcated consumption window for the chocolate -- the fag end of the day. Will Indians bite?

Mondelez India, in its new campaign, has re-introduced Cadbury Bournville as an end-of-the-day treat. As a reminder to consumers to take the time out to unwind, the video, which is titled 'The perfect way to end the day', shows how a person, on his return from the office, shuts out the world as he enjoys Bournville at the end of the day.

The campaign was launched digitally on December 11 and was followed by a TVC which will continue to roll out in the first quarter of this year. It will be further supported by extensive sampling and outdoor and digital advertising.

The aim of the campaign is to reach out to the brand's core target audience of the urban affluent in the age group 25-35 years. Conceptualised and created by Ogilvy India, the objective of the video is to reposition Bournville as an end-of-the-day treat.

"We wanted to define the perfect time to enjoy the chocolate. We, therefore, needed to position Bournville as a special treat with a particular time for consumption. Through this ad, we are trying to project the dark chocolate as a product which is to be consumed at the day's end," says Neville Shah, director, Ogilvy India.

According to Shah, the company has always treated Bournville as a premium product, something that is not for the masses. "It is more of a product which relaxes the mind and the body after a hard day at work. It can be compared to something that calms you down, like wine, for instance. Moreover, the international cast gives it a global feel, an aspirational kick," says Shah. But still, the product needed a positive repositioning, he says.

"We needed to uplift Bournville as a product, a shake of brand philosophy. It needed to become a part of consumer behaviour. Being a dark chocolate, it makes for a great solo consumption story. One that can slow things down and give consumers their 'me-time' when it's most needed," he adds.

Along with the positioning, there has also been a change in the product packaging. The dark chocolate now comes in three new variants -- Rich cocoa, Raisin and nut, and Cranberry.

Commenting on the campaign concept, Prashant Peres, director, marketing (chocolates), Mondelez India, says, "We realise the importance of an individual's 'unwind time'. We want people to celebrate this end-of-the-day routine and reward themselves. By introducing Cadbury Bournville as the perfect 'unwind partner', we hope to enhance this experience for our consumers. We are confident that the rich and irresistible taste of Cadbury Bournville will heighten your senses and the lingering after-taste will leave you craving for more wind-down moments."

According to an official statement from the company, everything about the idea was to entice a mature consumer. "One tends to typically graduate out of mild, milky flavours and sweets and discover more mature, varied and complex tastes. Chocolate, therefore, falls out of favour with the adults. Hence, through the current positioning, we have tried to drive a very strong relevance with our consumers in their day-to-day life. Bournville being a premium dark chocolate is an ideal partner to unwind with -- 'A perfect way to end your day'," says the statement.

Dark chocolate is still a nascent category in the country, and the company believes that the current positioning will eventually help in developing the product segment in India.

Hanging somewhere in between

Santosh Padhi, chief creative officer, co-founder, Taproot Dentsu, is disappointed with the ad. He says, "Although the proposition is nice, it has not come out the way it should have through the creative. Cadbury is known for its superb ads, but this particular ad is not up to the mark. It is falling short on every parameter."

According to him, the video should have been shot on the lines of a more personal engagement between the consumer and the product. "The video shows what happens to the world while the protagonist relishes the chocolate, but it doesn't show what exactly happens to the protagonist after he consumes it. There should have been a more personal perspective. The objective is not clear," says Padhi.

He further adds, "The company is successful in projecting the product as a premier one in this ad by giving it an international touch like it has done in the past. I think Bournville is positioned to be a superior product offering and it has worked for Cadbury before. But, in comparison to the previous ads, the quality of this one is very poor."

Vasudha Misra, senior creative director, FCB Ulka, feels that the ad should have been more of an interpretation than a demonstration of the brief. "While the objective of the campaign has been met (that is, to create a specific time slot for consumption of the chocolate), I think the ad is a great demonstration of the brief, when it could have been a great interpretation of it," she says.

Misra further adds, "This particular chocolate is not a mass brand, so, for the kind of people it is meant for, it will work. But, it could have been more engaging and entertaining," she says.

According to Vishal Chemjong, senior creative director, Digital, Cheil India, the ad has not been able to keep up to the legacy of the company as compared to its past advertisements. "Making chocolate a great way to end the day is a very nice space indeed. The minty chocolate brand After 8, has been thriving on this since 1962. Bournville had a great opportunity to create a memorable commercial, but sadly that did not happen here," he feels.

Chemjong further adds, "Apart from being nicely executed, the plot is loose and leaves a lot to the imagination. The tonality bordering on romance and humour is very non-committal. The ad could have worked better if it was clearer about its tonality, or if it had put a context to all the lights going out. Moreover, what was the point in showing a young female jogger stranded in the dark, unless the attempt was to connect dark chocolate with dark humour."