Classic British chocolate makes TV return, 50 years on. But what’s changed?
Marketing Bournville, a Cadbury classic, has been something of a conundrum. But VCCP London provided the right ingredients.
Cadbury is reigniting a British classic with a deadpan new advertising campaign for Bournville, its dark chocolate brand, marking its return to UK screens after nearly half a century.
The campaign, directed by Harold Einstein at Outsider, takes a lighthearted swipe at the modern obsession with overly-complicated dark chocolate, positioning Bournville as a straightforward, enjoyable treat.
The advert’s tagline, “Since when did dark chocolate become so complicated you need a doctorate in cocoa nibs to understand it?” pokes fun at the pretentious culture surrounding artisanal chocolates, with their intricate flavour profiles and lofty origin stories.
Instead, Cadbury presents Bournville as “the smooth dark chocolate” that’s “made to be enjoyed, not endured.”
The campaign playfully credits “these snobs”, a nod to the creative team and perhaps the chocolate purists, for making the relaunch possible. By leaning into humour, Cadbury aims to reconnect with UK audiences, reminding them of Bournville’s rich, accessible taste in a market increasingly crowded with niche, high-end competitors.
Our take
This campaign marks Bournville’s first major TV push in the UK since the 1970s, a bold move to rekindle nostalgia while appealing to younger consumers. The advert is set to air across major channels and streaming platforms, with a digital campaign amplifying the message on social media.
The tongue-in-cheek tone celebrates simplicity while nodding to the brand’s heritage, which dates back to 1908 when it was first crafted in the model village of Bournville, near Birmingham.
The ad comes at a moment when there’s something of a movement to celebrate and embrace vintage British leanings. We saw this with the rebrand of Golden Syrup, the back-to-its-routes appeal of the recent Burberry campaigns, and Barbour’s recent ads. Meanwhile, many opined that Jaguar’s recent advertising misstep missed a trick by not leaning into its proud heritage.
Bournville already has that classic, austere British look and feel, and the recent ad carries the understated and deadpan tone often associated with our fair isle. It’s genuinely well written and performed, and its target of mockery (chocolate phonies) is relatable.
Bournville doesn’t often bounce back, but when it does, it melts seamlessly into the cultural zeitgeist.
Credits
CLIENT: Bournville
SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR: Elise Burditt
MARKETING MANAGER: Michael Moore
BRAND MANAGER: Maria Jackson
BRAND EXECUTIVE: Valerie Sophia Doeringer
ADVERTISING AGENCY: VCCP
CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Chris Birch & Jonny Parker
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Simon Connor
CREATIVE TEAM: Alice Goodrich & Lara Baxter
CREATIVE: Tom Lee
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR: David Boscawen
MANAGING PARTNER: Matt Smith
SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Bella Johnston & Rosie Troen
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Ella Wright
GROUP PLANNING DIRECTOR: Gethin James
SENIOR PLANNER: Charlotte O’Brien
AGENCY PRODUCTION: Girl&Bear
AGENCY TV PRODUCER: David Vass
AGENCY TV PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Oona Webster Jones
SENIOR INTEGRATED CREATIVE PR
DIRECTOR: Harold Einstein
MD / EP: Richard Packer
PRODUCER: Joseph Taussig
US PRODUCER: Michael Kanter
DP: Glynn Speeckaert
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Patrick Lumb
STYLIST: Alex Day
EDIT HOUSE: Arcade
EDITOR: Dave Anderson
MANAGING PARTNER / EP: Sila Soyer
SENIOR PRODUCER: Ellen Lavery
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Drew Lang
COLOUR: Company3
COLOURIST: Tim Masick
COLOUR PRODUCER: Alexandra P. Garcia Ortiz
ASSOCIATE COLOUR PRODUCER: Morgan Coyle-Howard
POST PRODUCTION: Selected Works
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Alex Fitzgerald
PRODUCER: Angie Broomfield
VFX LEAD: Ben Turner
2D: Olivia Wang & Rich Roberts
AUDIO POST PRODUCTION: Factory Studios
SOUND DESIGN & MIX: Jack Hallett
AUDIO PRODUCER: Olivia Endersby
CONTENT CREATION STUDIO: Girl&Bear
DESIGN DIRECTOR: Jonathan Harper
ASSISTANT ARTLAB MANAGER: Nick Normann
RESOURCE MANAGER: Yasmine Moridi
SOCIAL EDITOR: Thomas James
SOCIAL SOUND ENGINEER: Emily Vizard
POST PRODUCER: Gerda Aleksandraviciute
RADIO AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION COMPANY: Jungle
RADIO SOUND ENGINEER: Stuart Allen-Hynd & Sean Mahoney
MEDIA BUYING AGENCY: Publicis Media UK
SOCIAL AGENCY: Elvis
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