pladis, the global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, is building on momentum from the recent bold launch of its first non-fruit addition to the range – Jaffa Cakes Cola Bottle Flavour. A new nationwide campaign aims to put to bed once and for all the perennial debate of whether the popular snack is indeed a cake or a biscuit.
Sparked by a renewed flurry of interest – including high profile mentions on popular TV shows including Gogglebox and Love Island, reality celebrities wading in on the argument, and fierce debate across social media – the campaign features a series of punchy yet playful out of home (OOH) executions and social media films.
Eye-catching ads featuring the brand’s famous dark blue and orange livery are rolling out now with humorous catchlines including, ‘We’re a Cake! You biscuit’, ‘Say biscuit one more time… we dare you’, ‘Clue’s on the box, bruv’, and ‘Nuff said’ with an arrow pointing clearly to the word ‘Cakes’.
Another treatment will stop commuters in their tracks at train stations, offering them the chance to show where they stand on the debate; one side of the ad proclaims ‘Stand here if you think it’s a cake’ while the other side states ‘Stand here if you’re an idiot’.
Alongside, a series of films for social media will bring the attention-grabbing OOH executions to life by taking the messaging and adding an extra edge of humour. For example, one shows an enticing close-up of a Jaffa Cake, highlighting its luscious chocolate coating, rich spongy base, and thick orange centre. A buzzer interrupts the indulgent moment, as the line made famous in Pulp Fiction pops into view: “Say ‘biscuit’ one more time, we dare you” before a voiceover declares, ”We’re a cake, you biscuit.” The Jaffa Cakes logo appears, accompanied by several arrows to emphasise that it is indeed a cake.
The OOH and social media elements of the campaign aim to engage a wider audience by placing Jaffa Cakes front and centre in people’s minds, reinforced by in-store treatments reminding shoppers ‘Don’t take the biscuit, grab the cake’.
The campaign has been created by TBWA\London and also features partnerships with leading Gen Z influencers as well as Great British memes on social media.
“Jaffa Cakes are a cupboard staple for many, and the cake v biscuit debate only highlights how much people love them. But enough is enough. We’re putting an end to it here and now,” explains Adam Woolf, Marketing Director – McVitie’s at pladis UK&I.
“The campaign taps into Jaffa’s distinctive heritage of boldness and boundary-pushing in its unapologetic way, while retaining its classic British humour roots. Its light-hearted nature reflects the youthfulness of Gen Z and families, as it humorously takes a provocative stance on the cake v biscuit debate with engaging end lines.”
Set to be seen by 71% of all UK adults, and to generate 177 million impressions, the initiative follows the success of last year’s McVitie’s True Originals Masterbrand campaign featuring Trevor McDonald, also created by TBWA\London.
Paul Jordan, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\London, adds: “If McVitie’s are a family of True Originals, then Jaffa Cakes are the rebellious teenagers of that family – a bit aggy and provocative. So Jaffa weren’t about to follow the familiar tropes of those brands who ask; “Are you a Lover Or a Hater? A Scruncher or A Folder? Crisp in or Crisp out?”. Jaffa aren’t playing anybody else’s game by asking consumers to decide – they know exactly what they are – they’re Jaffa CAKES – Nuff Said.”
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