Assignment 1
Assignment 1
Have you ever felt like you’re walking on air?
It’s such a lovely happiness – a feeling of unbelievable lightness, of exuberance and bounce and fizz.
The reason I chose (and adore) this Maltersers ad is because it’s so simple. The product is light… and it makes you feel light.
It’s such an easy get.
Maltesers 'Roller'
Behind simplicity tends to lurk complexity. What problem would the client brief have brought?
For consumers, the non-premium chocolate market is crowded without much differentiation. Competitors jostle to reframe chocolate as anything but: as a reward (KitKat), playtime (Mars), or the embodiment of kindness itself (Cadbury).

As Augustus Gloop would say, 'Chocolate is chocolate!'
Client says to strategist – YOU FIX PROBLEM. MAKE MALTESERS MATTER.

Above, possibly the client. They've got chocolate to sell!
In this case, I think the easiest entry was product-driven. Maltesers are incredibly light, and they don’t have many calories.
Particularly, a certain demographic segment (under 28s females) wasn’t engaging with chocolate because it’s unhealthy – a rational decision. When you ladder into the ‘why’, I think this becomes an emotional insight. No-one chooses to feel sad when eating food (apart from after a breakup!).
So the strategy becomes so simple: Look on the Light Side. Rational, emotional, and awesome to execute creatively.
So how would I approach this problem?

Me, definitely a professional, putting on my strategy big boy suit
I think their strict gender / demographic focus is a little limiting.
The Maltesers brand director recently said: “Some of Maltesers’ best performing advertising campaigns feature female friends laughing over a packet of Maltesers. [Maltesers] is seeking to champion those female friendships.”
Yes, fellow human, I too have laughed with my female friends in such a situation
Let’s speak to a different audience – a psychographic slice, rather than gender. And for the hell of it, let’s switch tone to sincerity and earnestness.
New strategy: Lighten the load
The VALS ‘Achievers’ and ‘Strivers’ segments are psychographic groups that I think have a commonality.
They are typically highly driven to achieve and committed to their family. They work hard. They resist the easy way out.
The insight is even though they are strong, at times this can be a tough load to bear.
Maltesers understand these people. They get why you work so hard, that you don’t seek recognition for your toil.
But that doesn’t mean a little pop of Malteser lightness wouldn’t help lighten the load.
Let’s really commit, adopt a tone like Ram’s ‘Farmer’ spot. Ram is a car brand, not a gift from God. Who’s to say chocolate malt balls can’t elevate to something similarly superior?
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