The shrinkflation story behind Bebeto’s Eggflation Relief

Shrinkflation is a hot topic and Hannah Jackson, creative director, Pangolin, caught up with Creative Moment to discuss how challenger confectionery brand, Bebeto, joined the conversation.

Challenger sweets brand Bebeto revealed that due to “Eggflation”, a 9.7% surge in chocolate prices, the UK missed out on a staggering 3,000 tonnes of chocolate this Easter.

To keep celebrations sweet, Pangolin unveiled Britain’s biggest sweet egg (or “swegg,” if you will), hand-crafted from 3,000 sweets – one for each tonne. The work of art went on display at the Bebeto Wimbledon store, with free “Eggflation Relief” sweet packs available.

Pangolin's Hannah Jackson gives Creative Moment the insight behind the campaign.

Creative Moment (CM): Tell us about the insight behind the campaign?

Hannah Jackson (HJ): The human truth behind the idea is simple: Getting shortchanged is no fun.

Easter eggs are shrinking in size while price tags inflate, and our research showed that 59% of Brits are feeling quite bitter about it.

CM: How was the egg created, and what was the thinking behind it?

HJ: To stir up discussion, we wanted to visualise the full scale of “eggflation” by creating our very own giant Easter egg made entirely from sweets – or “swegg”. It is a Willy Wonka-esque, cheeky representation of the volume of chocolate that the nation is missing out on this year, all while highlighting Bebeto’s new Easter range (a tasty, affordable alternative).

The giant egg was hand-crafted by the brilliantly talented food stylist Lottie Bone. First, a bespoke styrofoam mould was made, standing six feet tall. Then, using edible glue, 3,000 individual Bebeto sweets were carefully applied by hand. The process took 50+ hours – and a lot of love and care went into every detail!

CM: What's been the reaction from visitors to the Bebeto Wimbledon store?

HJ: I ended up acting as an “egg bouncer” during the install because of all the attention it was getting. People of all ages have been mesmerised, and it has been ‘eggcellent’ to see the positive reaction in person and on social.

CM: What previous campaigns have you worked on for Bebeto, and how do you approach the brand's PR?

HJ: This is our first campaign with Bebeto, and it has been an ‘eggciting’ one to kick off with. They are the second fastest-growing confectionery brand in the UK, and the first ever brand to offer freeze-dried sweets. Our approach has been to showcase the brand’s playful, challenger spirit – poking the bear while tapping into commercially-driven cultural moments that resonate – which in this case, is the widespread frustration around shrinking Easter treats.

CM: Which Easter campaigns have you been a fan of in the past and why?

HJ: Easter is notoriously crowded, so the campaigns that stand out to me go against the grain, subvert something or tap into a genuine media narrative. It’s an oldie, but a personal favourite is Carlsberg’s fully edible chocolate bar – a simple idea executed brilliantly. It perfectly captured the “If Carlsberg did…” tone and is one of those “I wish I’d thought of that first” ideas.