Cadbury - Clucking Bunny (1983-???)
Easter is associated with traditions and the same is true of its imprint in television advertising. One such tradition was established by Cadbury almost forty years ago when the British company introduced its Easter Bunny on TV screens. The bunny brings the legendary Creme Eggs, one of the iconic products of the global chocolatier, into stores year after year. The original advert’s content was relatively simple - basically just a couple of shots of the bunny making strange noises followed by a basket full of Creme Eggs. But the most important is what came after that. Cadbury decided to build on the inconspicuous advert. In the years that followed, the firm came with the message that all other animals desperately wanted to be like the Cadbury bunny but couldn’t. The real masterstroke came later when the company decided to run a viewer poll each Easter where customers could vote on which animal would be the Easter Bunny for that year. Last year, it was a cat from Boise, Idaho, USA; this year, voters chose a raccoon. For Cadbury it means that their marketing idea still survives after many decades, getting the variations that the consumer wants and making the launch of the new spot a major Easter event.
Video: Cadbury - Clucking Bunny (1983)
Video: Cadbury - Bunny Auditions (2014)
Video: Cadbury - 2023 Cadbury Bunny Winner, Crash’s, Tryout Video (2023)
Hotel Chocolat - Beau Bunny starts his Easter Adventure! (2013)
Cocoa grower and chocolate maker Hotel Chocolat is another great example of a company with a unique Easter mascot that repeatedly returns to TV screens. Their Beau Bunny has been hitting the road at Easter since 2013, giving his fans plenty of opportunities to win one of the famous chocolatier’s special gift packs. His first trip was quite simple - Beau Bunny travelled to various locations in the British Isles, the Netherlands and Denmark, with various stops to hide chocolate Easter eggs. Basically, it was a sort of holiday equivalent of geocaching. But Beau has returned repeatedly at Easter since then, and each time his Easter hunt has been spiced up to keep customers from getting bored. Considering that Beau Bunny looks like a character that fell out of a Guy Ritchie movie, it would probably be pretty bold to think that such a thing could ever happen. However, competition formats such as “Guess the place by Beau’s latest photo” are definitely helping the company retain a lot of attention during Easter, which their mascot undoubtedly deserves.
Video: Hotel Chocolat - Beau Bunny starts his Easter Adventure! (2013)
Old Speckled Hen - Easter (2014)
If you don’t know what to do at Easter, perhaps you can glean some wisdom from the dapper fox gentleman Old Speckled Henry. Through him, the Old Speckled Hen brewery invites you to a classic pub, and the fox urges viewers to “seek out something different” this Easter. That is a lesson learnt for the marketers because Old Speckled Hen sought out something different and it worked. After all, Easter is mainly seen as the preserve of food companies and retailers in the marketing world, but few people associate it with beer. So the spot somewhat turns the established order on its head, and the puppet mascot voiced by popular comedian Simon Evans is a perfect vehicle. If you are into strong British accent and typical dry humour, remember this older but timeless ad.
Video: Old Speckled Hen - Easter (2014)
M&S Food - Easter Adventures in Chocolate (2015)
This spot is Marks & Spencer’s Easter contribution to the popular Adventures in Food marketing campaign. But if you think that a top Easter advert should have a strong narrative and message, you will need to look elsewhere. This is simply a parade of all sorts of delicious-looking sweets, from cakes to the iconic chocolate bunnies, and in a style that won’t leave any viewer cold. The M&S Food subsidiary brand prides itself on making its products trendy, and the Adventures in Food series lives up to this goal. You will especially appreciate the stylish and spectacular design, which clearly takes the products in the portfolio to the next level. This is also helped by the appropriately chosen music - in this particular case, electronic music by Clean Bandit. After watching the show, you will feel as if you have just attended a VIP gastronomic gala.
Video: M&S Food - Easter Adventures in Chocolate (2015)
Co-op Food - The Eggsperiments (2016)
You may know that the English dictionary contains the phrase “good egg”, which is certainly not used in the sense of evaluating the quality of any farm product. It is a term used to describe a person. For example, do you have a favourite neighbour who is happy to help you tidy up your garden from time to time, or a friendly postman with whom you always have a chat when you happen to see him at the letterbox? That is exactly the kind of person you can use this phrase for - someone who is just a great person you can rely on. It is a compliment whose usage dates back to school slang in 19th-century Britain. The Co-op Food retail chain worked with this symbolism in its 2016 campaign and decided to go on an unusual Easter hunt. With the help of hired actors, it searched for such “good eggs” among the general public. Eight short films were gradually released, each featuring a hired actor in a critical situation who gets help from an unsuspecting bystander. It is actually a kind of hidden camera but with a message of kindness. Most importantly, the company has managed to combine the Easter tradition with its own ideological identity, thus highlighting the fact that human togetherness is by no means extinct.
Video: Co-op Food - Arm Eggsperiment (2016)
Video: Co-op Food - Tie Eggsperiment (2016)
Netto - True Easter Bunny (2017)
Are you more interested in an Easter romance of a hen and a hare? German retailer Netto introduced it in 2017 with the result that even Pixar would not have to be ashamed of. The romance itself does not play the main role. What is important is that it resulted in the birth of a true Easter bunny, one that is capable of laying Easter eggs. But because of that special ability, he becomes an outcast and a laughing stock in his ecosystem. Depressed, he sets out to experience the big city, where his ability brings people joy, and the bunny quickly becomes a global celebrity. But as we know, the heroes of poignant animated films never forget their roots. That is why he decides to spend Easter with his family to which he owes his uniqueness. This is a very charming story that could certainly be used as the plot of a feature-length animated film. It also nicely portrays the emotions that people associate with Easter, especially in heavily Christian Germany. After all, it is mainly a celebration of sacrifice, which should be a prerequisite for human belonging.
Video: Netto - True Easter Bunny (2017)
Nestlé - Alice (2018)
In the mostly atheistic Czech Republic, we often forget that Easter is a fairly crucial time of the year in many other countries. Of course, Christian symbolism is one thing that may be difficult to convey, but we could at least take inspiration from what these holidays mean to people on an emotional level. This is nicely illustrated by Nestlé’s 2018 TV advert, in which we follow the everyday life of a kind of modern-day Alice in Wonderland. Except that Wonderland in this case is a perfectly normal world, but one that is often a turning point in any child’s life. With a bit of exaggeration, it could be argued that entering this world is the moment when we are each forced to grow up. Easter, however, is a time when it is possible to leave all worries behind and be a child again for a few days, looking forward to time off to spend with the family and the Easter eggs. One is never too old for any of that.
Video: Nestlé - Alice (2018)
Carlsberg - If Carlsberg Did Chocolate Bars... (2020)
To prevent us from drowning in chocolate, let’s take a look at another Easter campaign promoting beer... Excpet that we can’t avoid the chocolate in the end anyway. In 2020, Copenhagen brewer Carlsberg asked its fans a rhetorical question about what it would look like if it went full-on into the chocolate business. The English speakers understand the ‘chocolate bar’ pun and there is no doubt that bars are something Carlsberg excels in! The brewery didn’t just stop at words and decided to turn its vision into reality as part of an impressive and costly OOH campaign. In collaboration with food artists, they opened a pop-up bar on the wall of Truman Brewery in London’s Shoreditch district, which was both fully functional and fully edible as it was made entirely of chocolate. The classy five-by-two-metre design bar attracted a number of enthusiasts to visit. This is the way to pass on the joy of Easter.
Video: Carlsberg - If Carlsberg Did Chocolate Bars... (2020)
ASDA - Come for the Eggs (2024)
The British retail chain ASDA has repeatedly been the winner of the Easter marketing contest in recent years. According to the feedback, this year is no different. Welcome to the idyllic English countryside where time is irrelevant - except that on this particular morning it is quite the opposite. The morning idyll is disrupted by a barking dog and a ringing alarm clock, both with the same agenda. Once again, after a year, it is time to collect Easter eggs, but the eggs are not what you might expect. You will find henhouses full of creamy eggs (a dream for any lover of sweets and chocolate) and they are not collected just for selfish reasons. They are all destined for ASDA retailers, where they will be available to all waiting Brits. Once again, this year’s ASDA spot cleverly combines tradition with an interesting punchline, which highlights what most people in the island kingdom have in common - a reverence for Easter celebrations and an unrivalled love of Creamy Eggs.
Video: ASDA - Come for the Eggs (2024)
White House - Easter Egg Roll (1876-????)
And finally, something completely different. Every Easter Monday, the American media converge on the White House to hear a crucial speech by the sitting US president. Of course, this is not a politically exposed speech but rather a marketing stunt by the White House to bring the current administration closer to ordinary Americans. Every year, children gather in the garden of the president’s seat to hold an Easter egg-rolling competition, a tradition that has come to be known as the White House Easter Egg Roll. It has to be admitted that back in the early 19th century, the White House was not keen on it. Children began to gather there spontaneously and the strict ban was only relaxed by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876. Since then, however, it has been an occasion that no sitting president or any relevant American media outlet has missed. After all, as has already been said, it is an opportunity to show the president to the voters as a common man. Besides, when else will you see a president speaking on a balcony with a giant Easter bunny by his side? You can judge for yourself how the last two White House masters handled it!
Video: CBS News - Bidens host 2023 Easter Egg Roll at White House (2023)
Video: NBC News - President Donald Trump Hosts White House Easter Egg Roll (2018)
What do the above campaigns have in common? The most striking is probably the work with traditional symbols, which is not necessarily traditional in itself. On the contrary, innovation is appreciated. But of course, in the case of Easter, you can never go wrong with symbols. One could even argue that Easter is even more closely associated with them than Christmas. At the same time, remember that this holiday is very much about community - events like the usual Easter egg hunts are proof of that, and marketers often artfully exploit this sentiment when putting on their contests and activities. But what is most important is emotional authenticity. In short, people want to feel good at Easter, they want to enjoy the arrival of spring, preferably with their close family and friends. So save any gloomy messages for later - instead, do your best to be the bearers of good news and kind messages at this time!
