2021 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

CHALLENGE
For decades, Goldfish crackers have been a favourite snack for kids. Today, it’s the #1 kids’ cracker as measured by Nielsen Market Track. But sales growth is under pressure by a growing set of competitors, making Goldfish one of many choices in the mix.

Previously, Goldfish relied on a tried-and-true “Smiles” campaign that spoke to parents through the lens of an animated Goldfish universe. While the playful world of Goldfish had strong recognition, it had become less engaging. To earn higher prominence at snack time, Goldfish needed to move from a passive relationship to a more engaging one.

The brand needed a shift to unlock the emotional relationship that can sustain brand preference. In 2020, it set some aggressive targets: increase relevance and brand equity; and achieve a Net Sales Growth Target +7.2%.

INSIGHTS
Goldfish focuses on parents of children aged 6-11. Research told Zulu Alpha Kilo that virtually all Canadian parents (99%) see imagination as important, but half of kids surveyed had difficulty creating their own ideas and 60% of parents needed help sparking their kids’ imagination.

Snack time for kids is obviously a functional necessity. Research showed how much kids played with fish when snacking. Which means snack time could be so much more than physical fuel. It could be an emotional space for kids to unleash their imagination. The fish-shaped cracker naturally invites play – and could encourage kids to create stories, songs, art – and even the sillies. Goldfish could release the unlimited potential of kids to open up to their imaginations.

EXECUTION
Inspired by what can happen when you combine an open mind, a whimsical fish-shaped cracker and snack time, Goldfish launched the purpose-fueled “Feed Imagination” platform. Normally, the family fridge plays host to kids’ artwork. The agency thought it deserved a bigger stage, so it put the art out there for the world to see on the biggest platform it could find.

Zulu documented three real children’s impromptu storytelling moments. These video stories were brought to life, surprising the young talent on an outdoor billboard, in a published physical storybook and as a playable video game that launched on Snapchat.

The team took it a step further with a contest that delivered a second wave of media, sharing 11 more kids’ creations in digital storybooks and national billboards. To establish its commitment to kids’ imaginations, Goldfish developed the first ever “Imagination Index”, measuring and tracking the value and practice of feeding imagination for Canadian parents.

RESULTS
Help parents feed imagination in their kids translated into equity and, importantly, sales. Brand “Love” was 20% above norm, while “Goldfish values imagination” was 13% above norm, and Purchase Intent was 17% above norm. Engagement in creative was strong with “Involvement” +19% from norm and contest submissions was 1000% above benchmark. The brand is currently pacing to overachieve The Net Sales Growth Target (+7.2%), with consumption up +9% YTD (p/e Nov 28, 2020).

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Creative Director: Susie Lee
ACD, Writer: George Ault
ACD, Art Director: Jacob Gawrysiak
Social Creative Team: Philippe Visaya, Victoria Lee
Designer: Vince Rozas
Account Team: Alyssa Guttman, Erin McManus
Planning Team: Heather Segal, Sean Bell
Client: Campbell Canada
Clients: Mieka Burns, Paloma Bentes, Friyana Engineer, Mariah Weir
PR agency: Proof Strategies Inc.
Media agency: Spark Foundry
Shopper Agency: The Mars Agency
French partner: The French Shop
Developer: Kyle Collins
Producer: Rebecca Adams, Michael Oshell
Studio Director: Greg Heptinstall
Studio Artist: Andrew Martin, Cecilia Bernasch
Production Company: Zulubot
Director: Barbara Shearer
Executive Producer: Tom Evans
Production House Producer: Mitch Cappe
Director of Photography: James Andrews
Casting Director: Ground Glass Casting – Andrew Deiters
Editing Company: Zulubot
Post Production Producers: Sarah Dayus, Mariya Guzova, Adam Palmer
Editor: Max Lawlor
Animation: Mike Sevigny
Colourist: Hardave Grewal
Online: Alex Boothby
Illustration: Polyester Studios
Printing: Flash Reproductions Inc.
Retouching: Nabil Elsaadi
Audio House: Zulubot
Audio Engineer & Mix: Dino Cuzzolino
Music Supplied: Eggplant
Music Director: Roc Gagliese
Executive Producer/Head of Production & Music Licensing: Nicola Treadgold
Producer: Laura Merrett
Music Audio Engineer: Peter Pacey