Leo Burnett: International campaign for Emmentaler with Michelle Hunziker
To gain ground in the highly competitive European cheese market, Leo Burnett has launched an international campaign for Emmentaler. Michelle Hunziker was chosen as the campaign's spokesperson.
The cheese markets in Europe are largely saturated and therefore highly competitive. Under the generic name Emmentaler, supermarket shelves are flooded with cheap large-hole cheeses. As a result, the original Swiss Emmentaler AOP has suffered a decline in sales over the last 10 years. A new transnational communication campaign is intended to give the brand a new boost and sustainably increase its desirability. The campaign developed by Leo Burnett pursues a clear premium strategy that emphasizes the uniqueness of the cheese in terms of origin, quality and taste. This not only justifies the sometimes considerable price difference to me-too Emmentaler cheeses, but also charges Emmentaler AOP with emotional value.
The face of the new campaign is none other than Michelle Hunziker. She grew up very close to the Emmental and is well known in Switzerland, Italy and Germany, the product's main markets. Specially commissioned market research confirms the enormous level of awareness of 82 to 97 percent in the target group of 35 to 65-year-olds with medium to higher incomes. The popularity and product fit parameters are also well above the benchmark for celebrity endorsement.
The campaign will be presented with an elaborate PR event in Milan and will be launched in Italy and Germany at the end of April with a TV commercial and comprehensive POS, event and online measures. The above-the-line communication focuses on special moments when the best choice has obviously been made. The TV commercial shows an indecisive Michelle in front of her closet and an even more determined Michelle in front of her fridge. With her characteristic nonchalance, she states: "It's really easy to decide. My Emmentaler must come from Switzerland. Just like me."
Sustainable platform
The new premium image does not break with the previous claim "The Swiss Original". Instead, the insight "Only the best is served at special moments" provides the necessary impetus to better exploit the potential of the traditional brand.
As in the past, Emmentaler AOP will continue to rely on more than one brand ambassador in the future. In Switzerland, these are Matthias Sempach and Sonia Kälin. And Michelle Hunziker will initially ensure in Italy and Germany that exclusivity and naturalness need not be a contradiction in terms. Michelle Hunziker's internal impact is no less strong than with the general public. Her internal speeches caused euphoria among the country managers and sales representatives even before the actual start of the campaign.
