Re-engaging Gen Z to drive gum sales
Brief
Mars Wrigley were looking to improve the market penetration of their gum division, particularly among Gen Z consumers.
Having identified summer as a key point in the calendar to push gum sales, the company turned to Straight Forward to develop a brand activation campaign, packaging design and messaging that would deliver the goods and drive conversion. Part of our challenge was to activate on the single packs, a first in the UK for the Extra brand. The winning concept had to create maximum impact in the limited on-pack space, while remaining in keeping with the brand’s look and feel.
Solution
We identified love as a strong summer theme among 18–24-year-olds, with huge swathes of the market tuning in to summertime shows like Love Island and Ex on the Beach.
So, we developed the Find Your Other Half campaign, which tapped into the trend and addressed the 86% of gum consumers who cited fresher breath as the main appeal of gum products.
The on-pack activation features across singles, bottles and multipacks of Extra’s core flavours. Each pack has an initial on it, urging consumers to pair a pack with their partner, friends or family. We developed a range of outdoor media near purchase points, plus a digital awareness campaign boosting awareness amongst influencers and across social media.
We also developed a range of in-store point of sale collateral helping retailers to quickly decant single packs out of boxed outers so shoppers can easily find the initials they’re looking for.
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Britain’s biggest gum brand was the biggest loser in our 2021 Britain’s Best Brands report, having seen nearly £60m of its sales wiped out. It’s since clawed back £9.8m with a campaign aimed at Gen Zs looking to get into the dating game.
