Get people talking!

10th September, 2008

He’s back! Sitting down in front of the TV this week I couldn’t help but notice that our old friend the Cadbury’s Gorilla has returned to our screens. This time around the crazy primate is drumming along to a bit of Bonnie Tyler – he’s obviously a big fan of cheesy eighties power ballads… but then aren’t we all?!

The advert, which was such a big hit when it first aired last year, clearly engages with consumers on a personal level. The original ad saw huge levels of interest with it being viewed on YouTube (over 500,000 views in the first week it was aired) as well as thousands of remixed versions being posted online, around 70 Facebook appreciation groups set up, and the Phil Collins' hit ‘In The Air Tonight’ making a triumphant return to the UK Top 40 singles chart. The TV campaign was also backed up by billboard ads, press and magazine presence and cinema spots. As a result, sales of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk rose by a massive 9% during the gorilla’s twelve week reign.

The original campaign premiered during the finale of Big Brother 8 last year, and the new version was launched to tie-in with the grand final of this year’s show, which pulled in around 5 million viewers. During the commercial break the new advert, now remixed to Bonnie Tylers 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' (which also featured in this years Big Brother Endurance Karaoke task), was immediately followed by a new version of it's sequal 'Trucks', now featuring Bon Jovi's 'Living on a Prayer', another soft rock classic!

So what makes these adverts so successful? The real beauty of them is that they are fun and appeal to such a broad range of people, capturing their imagination and spreading through viral marketing – i.e. word of mouth, to prompt a really high level of brand engagement. It just highlights the need to get people talking if you want them to identify and connect with your brand.

It remains to be seen whether a second dose of Gorilla action will have the same effect this time around. I for one was determined not to be drawn in by the hype… but as you can see I’ve failed miserably! I’m just off to the shop to buy a chocolate bar, anyone else?!

Dan Broadley