Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

Darrell Lea, Makes It Better – a brand platform that couldn’t ring truer than in this demonstration of corporate purpose and social responsibility. This creative strategy has redefined the Darrell Lea brand and transformed the fundamental operation of its business and the ingredients across its beloved range of confectionary products. A strategy so powerful, it gave its multinational competitor a run for their money. As an ambitious challenger brand, Darrell Lea needed breakthrough creative thinking that would have maximum impact and disrupt the market, delivering them game-changing awareness and sales growth. This strategy does exactly that!

Background

As a brand that’s been around for 90+ years, Darrell Lea is loved by many Australians. In recent years, however, Darrell Lea battled for survival against stiff competition from multinational confectionary giants. Undeterred, Darrell Lea began making a comeback, gaining increased distribution and shelf space in major Australian supermarkets for its new range of block chocolates. The objectives were clear: a creative strategy based on a genuine move to do the right thing environmentally that would be progressive enough to disrupt the market (where other brands had failed to be noticed in this space). One that would multiply the value of their budget (17 times smaller than the category leader) by inspiring the nation to think about a complex, hidden issue and reconsider their choices. It needed to result in an immediate and significant impact on sales to satisfy the retailers, locking in their support for continued expansion.

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

As a small player in one of the most hotly contested FMCG categories, Darrell Lea had to take a comparatively small budget and build mass awareness and trial quickly amongst a very broad range of consumers (the confectionary target is one of the biggest). This was needed in a short timeframe to build the confidence of supermarket chains and ensure widespread distribution and future growth (and not allow the dominant competitors to strangle the Darrell Lea brand before it could grow a substantial customer base). As a well-loved Aussie brand, it would be wrong to overtly denigrate competitors, nor did we want to preach to consumers and make them feel guilty about a serious environmental issue. Instead, we had to capture attention, get the whole country talking and inspire a change of behavior.

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

Seeing Zoos Victoria eject a competitor due to concerns over unsustainable palm oil use prompted the idea that Darrell Lea could gain competitive advantage by removing palm oil from their range. We still had to check the idea would be easily understood/motivating to consumers, so commissioned quant research that found: 75% agreed there are environmental concerns about Palm Oil 52% agreed removing PO is better than sustainable PO 70% agreed orangutan populations have been reduced by PO 64% were more likely to buy chocolate that was PO free Vs containing PO This gave us the confidence that leading our Palm Oil Free campaign with an orangutan would be understood and motivating. However, we also knew a bold step could backfire if not well informed, so we engaged credible independent experts including Zoos Victoria; Orangutan Foundation and even Sir David Attenborough, to ensure our creative strategy was not misguided.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

Going 100% palm oil free is a bold and tangible embodiment of Darrell Lea’s brand promise to “make it better”, so we needed a bold creative execution to match. Brands in other categories had run campaigns to announce their palm oil free status, but with limited reaction. With a marketing budget a fraction of competitors, the creative thinking had to be progressive and the execution disruptive in order to have impact and deliver game-changing effect on brand value. So, in a brave move that was a clear challenge to the market leader, we created a campaign that focused on an Orangutan playing the drums to the beat of an iconic pop track. Not completely unlike one of the most loved and famous chocolate commercials of all time, featuring an ape playing drums - but with one very meaningful difference that reinforced the creative strategy that Darrell Lea makes it better.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

Creative strategy doesn’t come much bolder! This strategy led Darrell Lea to change the recipes across their entire range, publicly go up against dominant competitors and brought their small brand, forgotten by many, back onto every major network with primetime and in-depth news coverage. The work generated an incredible ROI of $1.449m earned media in the first 2 weeks and 53% increase in total sales the following month alone. The major retailers backed the initiative whilst credible 3rd party experts, influencers and consumers took to social in droves to voice their support. But the effects extended beyond commercial success for Darrell Lea, with an important environmental issue brought out in the open for national debate. Web search for “palm oil” tripled in the first week and 8 days after launch Mondelez announced a tightening of their palm oil supply chains to no longer be connected to deforestation by 2025.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

Living up to its brand purpose, DARRELL LEA MAKES IT BETTER, Darrell Lea was inspired to make tangible improvements to their environmental impact. In a bold move that took 2 years to complete, they completely removed palm oil from their range of over 40 products. A brave step for a confectionary brand where taste is everything. In doing so they became the first major confectionary brand in Australia to become 100% palm oil free and had a huge impact beyond their own sales and market share. By showing leadership, Darrell Lea helped inform and inspire consumers to make better choices.