In the spring of 2024, a remarkable campaign that celebrated two centuries of British confectionery heritage unfolded, featuring Mondelez UK, in partnership with Spark Foundry. The campaign, which ran from April 4 to May 21, was an ambitious and delicious journey through Amazon's advertising canvas to commemorate Cadbury's 200-year anniversary.

A story two centuries in the making

The story of Mondelez International began in 1824 when a 22-year-old John Cadbury opened a modest grocer's shop in Birmingham; 200 years later, what started as a small family business has evolved into Mondelez International, a global confectionery powerhouse employing over 4,000 people across nine sites in the U.K. alone. The company's relationship with Amazon UK, which began in 2012, has grown into a significant digital retail partnership, making this anniversary campaign particularly meaningful.

The sweet challenge of digital celebration

The campaign faced a monumental challenge: make the greatest possible impact across Amazon while honoring Cadbury's legacy as a cornerstone of British life. The stakes were high—and expectations were even higher. The primary objective was to execute a comprehensive full-funnel media strategy that would not only reach millions but demonstrate the multiplicative effect of combining various advertising channels. A particularly groundbreaking aspect was the use of Prime Video ads, marking the first time an FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) brand in the U.K. had utilized this channel for such a campaign.

Crafting a multi-layered strategy

Spark Foundry developed a strategy that would weave Cadbury's message of generosity across Amazon. The campaign utilized a sophisticated mix of advertising products, including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and Amazon DSP. The strategy was carefully coordinated with other media activities, including linear TV, digital OOH (out-of-home) ads, and pop-up events.

Prime Video ads were strategically deployed to generate mass awareness, while display ads created consideration, and sponsored ads closed the conversion loop. The campaign's effectiveness was measured through Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), which provided crucial insights into cross-funnel performance and identified the most successful ASINs for both sales and new-to-brand customer acquisition.

Breaking new ground in digital advertising

The implementation of Prime Video ads proved to be a game-changing decision. Through a Cross Media Study conducted with The Audience Project, the campaign demonstrated remarkable efficiency in reaching new audiences. Prime Video was 5.1x¹ more efficient than linear TV in reaching 18–34-year-olds, due to the lower frequency (1.4 vs 2.7)² and higher accuracy at delivering impressions to the core group (20% vs 7%).³ The strategy focused particularly on connecting with incremental customers and growing the new-to-brand customer base through consistent frequency across the funnel.

Sweet success: Measuring the impact

The results of this innovative campaign were nothing short of impressive. The Prime Video ads component reached two million new consumers and achieved a remarkable 34%⁴ "New-to-Brand" rate. Perhaps most notably, the Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) analysis revealed that users exposed to all three advertising formats—Prime Video, Display, and Sponsored Products—demonstrated a conversion rate of 3.84%⁵, significantly outperforming other exposure groups.

The campaign's efficiency was particularly evident in its reach to younger audiences. Not only did Prime Video ads prove to be 5.1 times more cost-efficient than linear TV, they delivered 75%⁶ exclusive reach to the core 18–34 demographic.

Lessons for the future

The campaign has become a blueprint for future full-funnel advertising strategies, particularly in the FMCG sector. Inspired by these results, Mondelez plans to explore even more innovative approaches, including more efficient remarketing strategies through DSP campaigns. Lucy Goforth, Customer Development Manager at Mondelez, emphasized the importance of collaboration, experimentation, and adaptation in achieving such groundbreaking results.

A legacy continues

As Cadbury's story continues into its third century, this campaign stands as a testament to the power of combining traditional brand values with cutting-edge digital advertising solutions. Through the strategic use of Amazon's advertising canvas, Mondelez UK has not only celebrated its rich heritage but also demonstrated how historic brands can remain relevant and engaging in the digital age. The campaign's success has set new benchmarks for future retail media campaigns and strengthened the partnership between Mondelez, Amazon, and Publicis Commerce.

Sources

^1-6 Mondelez U.K., U.K., 2024.