Whether you’re a Flake fiend or a Twirl girl it is fair to say we are a world of chocolate lovers.
So much so that the global confectionery market is predicted to reach $284.4 billion by 2025, driven by a surge in demand for chocolate.
When it comes to our favourite brands, we don’t like change. From recipe changes to outrage around shrinking pack sizes, there have been some serious sweet-tooth scandals in recent years.
One brand that has stuck with its tried and tested approach is Snicker’s who’s ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’ tagline has been around for over a decade.
Hanging its latest campaign on this famous tagline, Snicker’s created a tongue-in-cheek stunt, to rival the brand’s previous experiential billboard that gave passersby a very big surprise.
In a memorable and disruptive prank, the brand deliberately put Bounty chocolate bars inside Snickers wrappers in France and waited to see how people would react online.
Bounty has a love, hate appeal. It is no secret that many people hate the coconut chocolate bar. In the US, the Bounty equivalent Mounds is also considered to be the country’s most controversial chocolate bar. So, imagine the sheer horror when people unwrapped their beloved Snicker’s to find a Bounty!
The brand sat back and watched the engagement build one day before revealing that it was a hoax.
The customers’ hilarious reactions were captured in the campaign video, playing on the brand’s signature tagline.
The outrageous prank put the brand at the forefront of consumer conversation across social media using #SnickersGate to encourage people to share and join in the outrage.
Though not everyone saw the funny side. There have been some comments pointing to a flippant attitude towards allergen labelling, which if there had been a serious incident, could have been very damaging to the brand.
This is not the first time we have seen brands stirring up conversation through ‘prankvertising’.
With brands finding it increasingly difficult to advertise effectively via traditional channels, these satirical stunts are gaining traction. For example, Jaguars VR experience which pranks petrol heads and the amusing property prank staged by Monopoly.