Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

This was a unique campaign, where the renewal campaign of a snack had a very honest message: Has the taste really changed, or not? Employees and even the President of the manufacturer couldn’t tell the difference between the former and the new, and many consumers wanted to try for themselves.

Background

Since its introduction in 1974, Happy Turn has been one of the most popular snacks in Japan. With staggering sales, the snack was decided to be renewed. Although the awareness was high, the longevity of the brand made it seem out-dated, and the brand needed to provide a new brand experience. However, traditional food items face challenges in renewal. Changing the taste too much will lead to loss of fans, and not changing will keep it out-dated. A bold promotional plan was called for, for a subtle renewal.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

The creative idea is based on having the manufacturer convey honestly, that even though the taste has actually been renewed, there is very little difference in the perceived taste. This was based on the thought, that copy saying “It’s new!” or “It tastes better!” is a self-satisfying statement on the side of the manufacturer, and we did not want to use this type of copy. People who wanted to try for themselves, whether they can taste the difference or not, actually ended up rushing to purchase the renewed product.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Copy such as “It’s new.” or “It tastes better.” or “The world has changed.” are just self-praise by the manufacturer. Consumers see this type of expression at stores, in TV commercials and digital ads every day and must be tired of them. The strategy was to be very honest toward the consumers, and convey that “it really hasn’t changed much,” although it has. With this first-time ever promotion admitting the subtlety, curious consumers would want to try the new product for themselves.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

The title of the campaign was, “Happy Turn renewal. Can’t taste the difference!” Mundane copy such as “It tastes better.” was not used. Videos of employees and even the CEO of Kameda Seika actually conducting blind-tastings of the new and old Happy Turn were uploaded. Even the incredible scene of the CEO of the manufacturer not getting it right, was revealed. Votes were conducted on Twitter so that consumers could debate whether Happy Turn has #changed or #hasn’t changed. Various comments were uploaded on SNS and media.

List the results (30% of vote)

Sales were up 120.7% from the previous year during the campaign. A package to compare the new and old Happy Turn sold exclusively on Amazon was sold out in just one week. Media exposure was the equivalent of 110,134,599JPY (1,005,749.16USD). And impressions on SNS totaled more than 77,282,394.