Results and Effectiveness

Within 24-hours, 759m media impressions were generated across all platforms, successfully reaching ¼ of Chinese netizens. The brand’s social voice soared by 11 times. The campaign was also positively reported by leading media. The campaign significantly drove product trial with sales soaring by 22%. Over 1.2m on-pack redemption codes were activated online in 7 weeks and over 1m USD in sales were generated! The playful antics of Chipper, the mascot, won the hearts of consumers, as it became a hot commodity on Taobao (China’s eBay), where the cost to purchase a Chipper toy rose from RMB35 to RMB888 in 24hrs!

Creative Execution

We launched the day before with Chipper appearing on a popular parody entertainment show to tease a live TV audience that tomorrow nobody is safe from his pranks. Social listening identified topical news events which would break the following day. Over 100 mock headlines and mini news stories were created to parody these which were seeded across leading platforms such as Baidu, Tencent and Sina. Also, utilizing users’ publicly accessible profile information, personalized news headers and a greeting from Chipper himself astonished audiences. In Search, trending keywords were purchased but in typical cheeky fashion Chipper’s parody copy was delivered to those who clicked. An interactive vignette of Chipper was embedded into pre-roll video display. People wanting for more fun were then taken to Chipper’s social page where they found jokes, could post silliness and interact with others. The campaign featured on-pack with a redemption code enabling access to Chipper merchandise.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Young adults in China’s top-tier cities are highly pressured by societal expectations to be ‘successful’. They treasure those lighthearted moments when they can step away from the daily pressures of China’s fiercely competitive society. Chips Ahoy! recognised the need to reassure highly-strung city dwellers in the Middle Kingdom that sometimes it’s perfectly ok to pause from a rigid routine to embrace a moment of silliness. To create deeper resonance with our consumers Carat empowered Chipper, the brand’s very own unconventional light-hearted cookie-shaped mascot, to be more naughty and rebellious….all in the name of harmless fun. With Chipper ready for action, what better period is there to launch a bombshell of mischievous activities than April Fool’s Day?