Cadbury and London 2012 - the power of Limited Edition packs

OK.  I am really starting to like Cadbury's activation of their London 2012 partnership.
I have written previously of the brand's "Keep Team GB Pumped" campaign and really admire not only the amount of resource the company is putting into the activation but the lengths they are going to to drive and amplify the association.
A recent footnote to the so-called "anthem" activation is a crowd-sourced rendition of "Eye of the Tiger" - recorded in a number of studios around the country and then shared with the athletes who the brand is sponsoring.  Here's a look at it:



But the most recent chapter belongs to the limited edition pack, particularly a Cadburys Dairy Milk Bar which contains a blank post card upon which the fan can send a personalised greeting to team GB.  Here's a look at what I found on the brand's Google Plus page this morning:

Another wave of limited edition packs features sample packs of Cadbury's top 10 chocolate bars:

There is huge power in limited edition packs and admittedly, confectionary companies are past masters at it - (consider what they get up to just at Easter time).  They tend to gain huge standout not just on the primary shelf but on secondary display too.  Consider the power of how the six pack shrink wrap design for Carling helped amplify and drive entries for the Carling Cup.  One imagines there are a lot more opportunites waiting to be exploited.

New ways to put fans "up close and personal" with the action

Since my visit to Google's UK headquarters a few weeks back, I've been keeping a close eye on the work Cadbury is doing to leverage its sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympics.  According to a Google employee I chatted to, Cadbury's strategy is to establish a presence on as many digital platforms as it can, one of which is the relatively new Google Plus. 

I really like the way in which Cadbury is using Google Plus "hangouts" to put fans in "real life" touch with the British Olympian stars it is partnering with.  A "hangout" is a fantastic piece of Google proprietary technology which allows an individual to stage a video chat with a limitless number of friends or fans.  The beauty lies in the fact that it is not one way communication -  the platform allows for two way interaction as well.  Recently, David Beckham chatted to fans as far afield as Ghana, London and Madrid.  At about the same time, Barack Obama did the same thing as a preface to his State of the Union Address

Beckham's invitation to fans is below

And the actual hangout (all 45 minutes of it) is here.

Cadbury has done much the same thing with its partner olympians

Highlights from the interview are below

What doors could your brand open to facilitate such "up close and personals" between fans and their favourite players?

• A sponsored hangout Q&A between fans and a team captain on the eve of a big game?
• A podcast series - sponsored by your brand - with cutting edge insights on the sport from both players and experts?

As usual in the world of digital media, the opportunites seem limitless!

Cadbury - Anthemic activation for London 2012

Cadbury UK is a headline sponsor of the 2012 Olympic games scheduled to begin in London in about 200 days time.  In spite of the controversy surrounding ticketing bungles, the games logo and the official (naff) mascots Mandeville and Wenlock, I've am pretty impressed with the work that Cadbury is doing to amplify its partnership. 

While there are quite a few moving parts to the amplifcation - which will more than likely be the subject of quite a few posts between now and the opening ceremony - I am particularly taken with the "Keep Team Great Britain Pumped" initiative.  For a more detailed look at the microsite click here

Meanwhile, here's what the landing page looks like:

As you can see from the pic, it's a fairly simple idea:

Six Anthems.  One Nation's Voice.  Add yours and help team GB to Glory

So far, Cadbury has unveiled 5 out of six "power" anthems with each song accompanied by a stirring ad depicting a headline athlete preparing for the games.  Below, for example, we see Olympic field hockey player Sarah Thomas preparing in the scenic surrounds of her native Welsh mountains.

Another track shows long jumper Chris Tomlinson preparing in the city, joined enthusiastically by its inhabitants

Here's one featuring swimmer Rebecca Adlington

About the only criticism I have is that the videos have not had as many views as the brand office would surely have expected.  Has the activity begun too early?

Cadbury's Spots vs. Stripes aims to get England playing again

Further to Cadbury's "Pump up Great Britain" activation, the brand also seeks to get England playing ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

The "Spots vs. Stripes" campaign is designed to boost Britain's community spirit, get people to respect one another and to bringing a feel-good "spirit of play" to the nation ahead of the games.

The idea is fairly simple:  get people to join one of two teams (er...Spots or Stripes) - and then encourage them to compete in any game they want ranging from golf to tiddlywinks, building up to national totals online for each side.  

The integrated effort comes with a 50 million GBP price tag and includes (most notably):

Television:

A Limited edition Challenge Bar (as well as Limited Edition Wenlock and Mandeville Bars)

Separate facebook pages for both the Spots and the Stripes - in case you're interested, the Spots have circa 40 000 more fans than the Stripes.

Digital - of course - (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Microsite)

Print

 I like this initiative and think it's feel-good social message will go down well with consumers.  Moreover, it seems to be resonating far more powerfully with consumers than the "Pump up Great Britain" piece alluded to in an earlier blog.  However, how will it play out (NPI!) on a national scale?  The implementation plan must be keeping the brand team awake at night!