Chocolate Love

Over the past month one of our most visited posts has been Lee Clow's next revolution should be your revolution. With over 2,100 page views in the last month alone, and hits from South Africa, Bahrain, Greece, India, the UK, and Brazil, I'm wondering if it's getting so many page views because of the basic message: traditional advertising needs to re-invent itself. It needs to become more than just advertising. It needs to become culture. 

Hmmm, I wonder. . .

Regardless, unless you've been under a rock, in a dark cave, in an uninhabited corner of Siberia, then you're well aware of how the internet has dramatically impacted  the business world, especially in the realm of marketing and advertising (particularly with print media).

So with the market changing it becomes necessary that you adapt or become extinct.

Kraft Foods has recently jumped into the realm of creative advertising with their Lacta chocolate bar in Greece. They crowdsourced a 27-minute branded-entertainment film, involving the audience in everything from writing the story to casting the film and styling the actors. Some even popped up as extras in the finished film. And in a down market for chocolate bars, Lacta's sales are growing.

Created with OgilvyOne Worldwide in Athens, the "Love in Action" campaign started with a series of traditional TV spots inviting people to submit their own personal love stories, one of which would be made into the movie. In response, people posted 1,307 love stories.

The winning story was about a musician and a new army recruit who meet on a train journey. Online polls decided casting (full screen tests were put up online), the characters' names and even what they wore.

A total of 11,500 people registered and voted on pre-production decisions, and some were invited to be extras in the film. Updates were posted on Facebook and Kraft's blog during the two-week shoot.

The film attracted a 12% share of viewers and was seen by more than 335,000 Greeks on TV. In the first few weeks online, the film was viewed 150,000 times and attracted more than 20,000 fans on Facebook. And the song featured in the film became a hit.

Ladies and gents, in the new economy, customers aren't just consumers they are also producers. Welcome to the new business world order. . .

Now in my post with Lee Clow, I mention how he believes every brand touch point needs to be treated as if it were an opportunity to seduce an audience (and what's more seductive than love?). He also says, "when advertising is done well, I think it can become a part of our culture. When it's done badly it becomes visual pollution.

Well not sure if Kraft heard Lee's message on this, but they have definitely captured culture.

Bravo Kraft, bravo.