Super-hero movies will never be the same again after Christopher Nolan took over the Batman franchise. Nolan’s brooding but larger-than-life cinema has given Cadbury India (now a part of Krafts Foods) the perfect opening for a large scale campaign for its dark chocolate, Bournville. The last instalment in Nolan’s Batman trilogy, titled The Dark Knight Rises (TDKR), produced by Warner Bros, will quench avid anticipation on the 20th of July. Cadbury Bournville has scripted an association with the movie to reach an audience who like their movies and chocolate dark.
Following two critically-acclaimed and popular movies in the series has ensured that TDKR is highly anticipated. Venkatesan Chandramouli, director (strategy and snacking), Cadbury India says, “There are so many people already conversing about it on social media. Our communication will stoke their appetite for the film.”
But Bournville is a dark chocolate, a variety not exactly a hit with the kids. What led to its association with a superhero movie? Chandramouli says “Bournville has a great appeal among young adults, anywhere between 19-30 years of age. That is also the audience who are eagerly waiting for the movie in large towns.” Ogilvy India National Creative Director Abhijit Avasthi shares, “Bournville’s purchasing and repurchasing patterns have shown that there is a sizeable young audience as well who experiment with bitter chocolate.”
To tap into such an audience, the campaign will have an epicentre on the web, rather than mass media as high decibel campaigns are wont to have. The branding also marks a few firsts for Cadbury in India. It is launching special The Dark Knight Rises packs of Bournville for a strong in-store branding and link to the online fun. But most interestingly, this is the largest digital campaign for Cadbury in India so far and exceeds its budget for TV and cinemas for the campaign, even though there will be a 30-second television commercial (TVC) and in-cinema branding.
An animated commercial and a crowd-sourced pixel contest have flagged off the first leg of the internet campaign. Daily Batman trivia and ‘bat signs will characterise the Facebook and YouTube pages of Cadbury Bournville. Tying the thrill of the Warner Bros’ Batman series with the premium cocoa ingredient of a Bournville, there will be a final contest, called ‘Bean Hijack’ for fans to hunt for lost cocoa beans based on online clues. Winners of the many contests will be treated to anything from movie merchandise, special premiers of the movie in five cities, to a free trip to Warner Bros Movie World in Australia. Chandramouli says, “For most Indians, these are very interesting takeaways that Bournville has promised.”
Cadbury Bournville’s blitzkrieg around the TDKR fan frenzy could help the brand. While it is the only Indian dark chocolate brand in the market, it still operates in the rarefied segment that is only 1.5-2 per cent of the Rs 3,500-crore chocolate market in India. While Cadbury has toned down the bitterness with medium cocoa content and raisins and nuts, it has always leaned on the Internet to net its premium clientele. It had marked its launch with not just TVCs but a blog written by a fictitious character, who looks for stories of people who have earned their rewards, in line with Bournville’s tagline.
Bournville’s latest campaign to flank prospective The Dark Knight Rises fans is a testament to what Avasthi says: “We have decided to increase the digital engagement for Cadbury brands.”