Egg-cellent Easter campaigns

As the long weekend approaches and the office fills with more and more chocolate treats, we’ve been chatting about our favourite Easter marketing campaigns from over the years so thought we’d share them with you!

Tesco’s #FindTheEggs 

It’s no surprise Pokemon Go became such a hit – it seems Tesco might have been the trendsetter! In 2013 the supermarket giant used the classic ‘hide and surprise’ gaming mechanic with their #FindTheEggs Easter campaign.

Inviting people to ‘join the hunt’ to find Easter eggs hidden all around the UK, users were invited to access Google Street View to locate hidden eggs around their location to be in with the chance of winning chocolate – or more!

In ten days, 325,000 users had visited the dedicated microsite to play the game, with a quarter of a million prizes already distributed.

The interactive element of the game appealed to both adults and children, and something that could be played without the need to purchase anything beforehand. The game was personalised, inviting people to enter their postcode for a more immersive experience, whilst the prominence of the #FindTheEggs hashtag all over the gameplay encouraged the activity to go viral.

For Tesco, the game also acted as a mechanic for data capture – without entering an email address users could not play – so quickly and easily Tesco was able to generate leads; whilst the ‘hide and surprise’ gaming mechanic gave a much-loved tradition a digital twist!

Cadbury’s How Do You Eat Yours? 

In 1985 Cadbury launched the memorable campaign of “How do you eat yours?” and it’s been a successful marketing tool ever since – in fact, annual sales are now at more than £200 million.

Despite the campaign being more than 30 years old, we continue to discuss the ways in which we enjoy the indulgent treat every Easter – according to a Cadbury survey, 53 per cent of people bite off the top, lick out the cream and then eat the chocolate. Twenty per cent just bite through and six per cent use their finger to scoop out the cream. But most importantly, how do you eat yours?

The Happy Egg Company’s #ChickCam 

Easter doesn’t have to be all about chocolate. Last year The Happy Egg Company kicked off its campaign in Mid-March to run until Easter (April 16^th). It followed the life of an egg from an incubated chicken egg, to a chick learning to walk.

The live stream of watching the eggs went viral and the interaction and engagement across the company’s social channels rocketed when the public was invited to name the newly born chicks – the hashtag was even trending across the UK on Twitter.

Marks and Spencer’s Easter Food 2018

Marks and Spencer never fails with its ads and this year’s is no exception. It celebrates all things food, family and feasting, with a touch of M&S luxury and food you just can’t resist.

Poundland’s Branded Bunny

 

And finally, after the controversy of its Christmas campaign, Poundland have been at it again with its provocative ads.

The high street retailer has launched an Easter advert featuring a bunny being branded by a chick, intended to advertise it in-store Easter offerings. In the advert a bunny can be seen bending over being branded with a large ‘X’ with the caption: “I’ve got a way to make you hot and cross Bunny”.

The campaign has divided many people, with some calling it ‘disturbing’ and ‘nasty’, whilst others have congratulated Poundland for its sense of humour.