MIKADO
Mikado Stick
In order to relaunch the Mikado King, a biscuit with double chocolate coating, we had to remind people how much they loved chocolate. So we created and advertised a fake product, the Mikado Stick, with no chocolate at all. Of course, people hated the idea. And of course, people went nuts on social media.
OOH
We created print advertising our ‘exciting’ new product. As expected, it wasn’t well received. People just couldn’t understand why we would get rid of the chocolate rather than adding more… On the first day of its release, Mikado Stick sparked outrage all around the country and became France’s most talked about topic on social media.
When the bad buzz reached its peak, we finally revealed where we put all the chocolate – on the Mikado King. France was relieved. People rejoiced. And more importantly, people started buying Mikado King again. Sales increased by 30% – the distasteful joke had turned into a successful campaign.
FILMS
A series of short films teasing the fake product (in French) were also aired on TV, further adding to the uproar.
Le placard (French Version)
Le gâteau (French Version)
La petite faim (French Version)
Le goûter (French Version)
AWARDS
Eurobest: 1 Silver – Media
Effies: 1 Bronze – Small Budget
Cannes Lions: 3 Shortlists – Media, Direct, PR
CREDITS
Agency: DDB Paris
Creative Team: Alexander Kalchev, Alexis Benbehe, Pierre Mathonat, Julien Bon
Role: Copywriter