Cadbury SA goes gorillas

Featuring a neck-clicking, drum-playing primate, the ad visualises the moment of joy that mirrors the experience of eating Cadbury's famous Dairy Milk chocolate. It is set to the classic Phil Collins number ‘In the air tonight', with the gorilla letting rip on the track's famous drum solo.

Original Cadbury Gorilla TV ad

According to Wikipedia, the ad has won many awards, including the Epica d'Or for Film 2007, the Grand Cristal at Festival de la Publicité de Méribel, Gold at the British Television Advertising Awards 2008, Gold at the Advertising Creative Circle Awards 2008, Gold at the International ANDY Awards, Black and Yellow Pencils at the D&AD Awards 2008, Gold at the Clio Awards 2008, Bronze at the One Show 2008, the FAB Award 2008, Gold at the Fair Go Ad Awards 2008, and the Film Grand Prix Lion at Cannes Lions 2008. The ad was also remixed extensively by members of the general public who felt that the backing track and sequencing didn't quite work.

Bizcommunity.com spoke to Geoff Whyte, Cadbury Group MD, who commented, “I think it is of particular interest as a film in that it attempts to reflect the experience of eating Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate (a moment of joy) in the commercial itself (also a moment of joy). I think this shift in thinking and the originality of the ad itself are why it won the Grand Prix at Cannes.

With regards to the media choices Cadbury SA made around the SA launch of the commercial, Whyte explained that it has gone with a much bigger launch programme than the UK, which first aired the ad in 2007. This has included an SA-produced major teaser campaign on TV, radio and in the press, as well as getting SA-designed and -produced themed off-shelf display into the market to coincide with the above-the-line media plan. The drum kit design was showcased to media in Rosebank, Johannesburg, recently.

First radio teaser ad:

Second radio teaser ad:

Added Whyte, “We are also making the commercial available online but have had to make some focus choices because of the relatively low penetration of ‘at home' Internet access in South Africa and the slow download speeds typically available here.

“As a company, across our brand portfolio, we are concentrating more on South Africa's over-index on cellphone penetration. We are running an ‘enter by cellphone' competition linked to ‘Gorilla' where consumers can win significant cash prizes by matching the Gorilla's beat. We have been successful with this instant ‘entry by cell' approach in the last year or two and see great opportunity going forward as phones become more sophisticated and internet access capability between mobiles and PCs converge."

For more:

• www.aglassandahalffullproductions.com
  
• Wikipedia: Gorilla (advert)