Pot Noodle goes where other teen brands fear to tread

New Pot Noodle agency, Lucky Generals, director Nick Ball and Blink build a champion idea into a winning ad for Unilever’s teen food.

You Can Make It could have been the tagline for a motivational teen ad full of you-can-make-it clichés. Which would have made Pot Noodles the awkward part of the story.

And the ad, the first by new agency, Lucky Generals, who won the account from Mother in December 2014, is in fact a motivational teen ad whose story begins to be told in clichés – a 98lb weakling strives to make it in the world of boxing. His Pot Noodle diet frees up his time so that he can train…

“Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to make it. That’s why I eat these Pot Noodles. Less time cooking. More time chasing my dreams. After all, success doesn’t come on a plate. Those extra minutes made all the difference,” the lad narrates.

He flies to Vegas for the fight of his dreams. Back at home, his family gathers to watch him on the TV. He moment arrives…

…he climbs into the ring. In green and gold lame shorts and a crop-top (Is this because director, Nick Ball, is an Aussie?).

You Can Make It takes a sudden detour from the mainstream.

He’s the boy who holds up the cards announcing the upcoming round.

The TV spot is being supported by online, social media and PR executions.

Pot Noodle marketing manager, Monique Rossi commented, You Can Make It is a big idea that gives the brand a new sense of purpose, but which remains true to the product. This is much more than an advertising campaign for us – it’s a real mission that will affect everything we do as a brand from now on.”

Lucky Generals founding partner, Andy Nairn, added, “”Our strategic leap has been to flip the key brand benefit of simplicity and tie it to ambition, rather than laziness. Perfect for a generation that feels it can make it, at anything in life. Pot Noodle has done some great advertising over the years, but its slacker associations now feel out of step with the ambitious young people of today.”

The ad may attract the odd complaint, but that’s nothing new for the brand. These ads were banned: