Playful squirrel

No Schoggistängeli in Switzerland has more hazelnut chips than Minor. According to a recipe developed as early as 1936, it is exactly 24 percent. This still makes the treat one of the most popular chocolate brands in Switzerland. The supported level of awareness is outstanding, and the recipe continuously receives top marks. But extensive market research in 2013 also revealed a few areas for improvement. Some consumers rated the brand as "dusty," and the emotional connection was losing intensity. Younger consumers in particular felt that the established cult brand did not appeal to them enough. This was a challenge that an SME like Minor could not solve exclusively through advertising print. What was needed, therefore, was a convincing charm offensive with ideas.

The St. Gallen advertising agency Vitamin 2 won the pitch for this nut together with freelance creative director Martin Fuchs from "Washing Line". In doing so, they dramatized the fact that no Schoggistängeli has more hazelnuts with a true nut expert: The minor squirrel "Split" was born. A truly winning creation not only with a "yay" effect, but also with plenty of potential for creative applications of all kinds. The likeable little animal was captured in the search for a "symbiosis of strategic considerations and conceptual ideas," explains Jan Hasler of Vitamin 2.

However, the team doubted that a key visual alone could solve the brand problem. "The days are gone when a pretty poster was enough to emotionalize a brand. Today, the omnipresent smartphones, as well as second screens, steal advertising's attention. So why not make them part of the solution right away," says Fuchs. Vitamin 2 and Martin Fuchs therefore brought a third partner on board: the animation studio Boutiq. So the squirrel "Split" not only learned to walk in a completely 3-D animated world. In an "inspired collaboration" that also actively involved the client, a 360° concept was created that targets the target group's new media usage.

Corporate entertainment creates emotions

Classic and digital advertising merely acts as a "portal" that arouses consumers' curiosity - and lets them enter the new Minor world. To this end, classic and digital advertising media such as TV commercials, posters, flyers, and the website are interwoven cross-medially - and even "below the line" measures such as sponsoring, POS, or on-pack information set bait to engage with the brand.

The real heart of the campaign is the extensive promotion and entertainment program, which provides incentives without discounting - and subtly helps to increase sales. From the TV show to highly emotional campaigns, the interdisciplinary link is always sought. For example, a "lucky package" promotion will also find its way onto the TV show "Bauer, ledig, sucht ...", where Minor is a TV sponsor. Viewers will learn how they can surprise their friends with a chocolate package on the Minor website. A campaign that is also "played" in commercials and on the packaging of the multipacks. And a Facebook app was programmed for the campaign, which can now be adapted for all other social media promotions.

The promotion program aims to involve consumers. "Through continuous, charming measures with emotional added value, Minor is to become a love brand again," explains Michael Schopper, Minor's brand manager and initiator of the relaunch. To this end, Minor is also using a new discipline that has become an integral part of everyday life for the majority of the population: a large game for tablets and smartphones. This was developed by Boutiq in collaboration with Martin Fuchs.

Minor game as a new brand experience

Thanks to social games, women now make up around half of the gaming community. Minor can therefore win over a target group of the future on this channel as well. With the advantage that potential Minor fans engage with the brand much more intensively and for longer than they ever would with conventional advertising media.

The branding in the minor game is discreet at first glance. But the protagonists and brand messages are subtly integrated into the gameplay. "The focus is on fun, but the brand essence remains in the memory," say Philipp Zünd and Mike Huber from Boutiq. This is also ensured by the monthly draw for a year's supply of Minor among all players who successfully master the first 25 levels. And to ensure that the fun never ends, new levels and chances to win - for example VIP tickets to "Art on Ice" - are posted every three months. The communication concept is designed for the next three years. Special experiences will be sought on all channels - and linked with social media marketing. For example, the "Art on Ice" sponsorship will be staged with a walk-in 6-meter 3-D poster. There, the audience can take selfies, which in turn will generate new contacts and attention on social media.

Andreas Panzeri