Cadbury Australia borrowed Cadbury UK’s (unforgettable) VCCP Mum’s Birthday commercial, which launched in the UK in January 2018. It began running in Australia this year – and still is. Now Cadbury UK has borrowed Cadbury Australia’s VCCP Mrs Thompson spot, which launched in Australia in March 2018. Mum’s Birthday is running in Australia in its original (UK) version. VCCP, however, has remade Mrs Thompson. It’s now a Mr Thompson ad, it’s called Fence, and its protagonist is a bit grumpier that his Australian counterpart.
In both films, toys from the boys playing in the garden next door keep ending up in Mr or Mrs Thompson’s garden. It’s annoying – one toy lands in Mrs Thompson’s cup of tea – but, kindly, the Thompsons keep throwing them back. Eventually, the boys throw over a block of Cadbury Dairy Milk to say thank you.
https://youtu.be/ojajHDJrliM
https://youtu.be/AMHeB14kmgg
The message is the same in both ads. Cadbury believes there is a glass and a half of generosity and kindness in everyone, and in a world that can seem increasingly selfish the generous acts are harder to spot, but they are there, happening every day, in all walks of life.
Cadbury UK has taken the campaign omne step further. Developing the UK TV spot and its story of the older man highlighted an awful reality – 1.4 million older people struggle with loneliness in the UK and over 225,000 often going a week without speaking to anyone.
To make a difference and underline its belief that there is kindness in everyone, Cadbury has partnered with Age UK and is “donating the words” from the packaging of its iconic Dairy Milk bar. These limited-edition bars will be sold in supermarkets nationwide with 30p from each bar going towards Age UK to help provide vital services and support when older people need it most.
This activity will be supported by a social campaign encouraging people to “donate their words” too. By committing to everyday actions such as checking in on an older neighbour, calling an older relative for a chat or getting involved with Age UK, people across the country can make a difference to the lives of older people in their communities.
Claudia Miceli, senior brand manager, Cadbury, commented, “We’re so proud to announce this partnership and to be supporting Age UK. It’s such an important charity that is really tackling the issue of loneliness. We are donating the words from our bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk and encouraging people to find their glass and a half of kindness and generosity and donate theirs through small gestures that could really help change the lives of older people.”
Laurie Boult, fundraising director at Age UK, added, “We’re proud to be working with Cadbury Dairy Milk on this campaign, raising vital funds to help support Age UK’s work, nationally and locally to tackle loneliness and isolation amongst older people. We hope that the public really get behind the campaign, whether by simply buying a limited edition bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk or pledging to donate their words to help an older person – saying a friendly hello when they’re out and about, speaking to a neighbour, calling an older relative for a chat, or talking to Age UK about how they can help.”
