Kingsmill has extended its partnership with Aardman Animations’ property Wallace & Gromit with an on-pack promotion offering a range of branded premiums including a lunch box and pencil case. The campaign coincides with the date of the DVD release of ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’, which aired on BBC 1 at Christmas. It is designed to appeal to parents and kids alike, especially the wind-up Toast Rack Van.
Kingsmill and Wallace & Gromit are a match made in heaven and this highly effective campaign plays to the natural chemistry between the two brands and engages the target audience beautifully. And let’s not forget Wallace is a great toast eater!
On-pack coupons are an old-fashioned method, but then tapping in to the current vogue for nostalgia is no bad thing. It's also refreshing to see the number of tokens required is low, making redemption achievable for even the 'Atkins' following household. The Wallace & Gromit entertainment brand, with its charming humour resonates with both kids and their parents. The latter will probably have mailed off coupons from packs when they were young, and will be eager to help their kids do the same.
The range of cute collectibles wouldn’t have looked out of place in a 1970s or 80s promotion, and this is in no sense a derogatory observation. Items all have a practical homely touch and speak to the Kingsmill brand in a way that no video game designed for kids or tweenies could. In a recession there is a hunger for comfort foods such as toast and Kingsmill has understood the mood and tapped into elements of the past with a deft touch.
If I were to grumble ever so slightly it could be that Kingsmill might have taken a lead from Wallace & Gromit's interactive website, which features a fun baking theme. Kingsmill's bland web offering weakens the otherwise strong campaign, with little content of interest to keep visitors on the site. Adding more interactive elements such as games would improve this.
With such a tight brand fit between Kingsmill and Wallace & Gromit this promotion should be a win-win for both. It certainly appeals to my seven-year-old daughter who has spotted the promotional packs on shelf and has voiced her desire for the lunch box and pencil case; I’d better start making more sandwiches.
Rating 8 out of 10
Agency: Geoff Howe
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