Here's how Cadbury extends virtual hugs to online trolls

Online trolling is an accepted way of life for most netizens. Anyone who tends to spend a fair amount of time over the internet knows that managing pesky trollers can be quite a struggle. Be it brands or individuals, it's almost impossible to escape the troll brigade as long as you are in digital space. And sometimes, you can be at the receiving end for no reason at all.

As part of its Friendship Day campaign #HeartTheHate, Cadbury Dairy Milk has launched a positive video that aims to extend heartfelt support to those who have been bullied or ridiculed online, with a 'purple heart' emoji.

Now, we couldn't help but remember that the brand and its signature distinctive shade of purple has quite a long history to it. Back in 2013, Cadbury lost a five-year 'chocolate war' (read court battle) to register a distinctive shade of purple as a trademark for its chocolate bars.

Meanwhile, BTS, a popular South Korean boy band from Seoul, recently shot to viral fame with a clip created in association with UNICEF to spread the message of love and kindness as part of an anti-bullying campaign. The clip, released on the International Day of Friendship (July 30), is titled: 'BTS (purple heart emoji) show the power of love and kindness.'

The emoji made us wonder if it was a smart move by Cadbury to create a campaign on similar lines and earn a share of the momentum.

We spoke to industry folks to know their take on the video:

Navin Kansal

Universally, a purple heart symbolises love that is sensitive and compassionate. "As such, it's an apt use of the emoticon to counter trolling that has become de rigueur these days," according to Navin Kansal, chief creative officer, 21N78E Creative Labs.

And in age characterised by short public memory, the effort required to participate in cause-vertising like this is as minimal as it gets. "Select emoji, press and send. It also ticks the checkbox on the use of brand colour, which gives it greater heft. The storytelling and execution could have been more impactful than what it currently is," Kansal adds.

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He considers the use of the 'purple heart' by the Cadbury and BTS campaigns as a mere coincidence. No marketer or agency worth their salt would want to intentionally copy something that can be outed by a simple Google search, he reasons.

As a brand, Cadbury positions itself in the 'Moments of everyday life' space and the Friendship Day has been an integral part of its campaign initiatives.

Rahul Vengalil

Rahul Vengalil, founder of digital agency WhatClicks feels this campaign will hit the right chord among the consumers. "Cadbury has been doing campaigns in India every year, but I don't recollect many with a strong social message," he says.

"For them to go against the norm would have meant putting in a lot of research during the planning phase of the campaign. Everything else is secondary, be it the colour of the wrapper, BTS fan base, etc. The content is strong enough and we should appreciate that," Vengalil concludes.

A quick look at some of the older friendship day ads from the brand: