nākd bars had led the charge in the all-natural, healthy snack bars market but recent growth was starting to slow. We had to make sure penetration continued to rise by moving the brand out of the niche snacking aisles (and small-scale media channels) and into the mainstream - where the brand belongs.

From our research, we knew that nākd’s mainstream target were sceptical of being offered ‘healthy options’. Brands in the sector either ‘taste too good to be good for you’ or are ‘too healthy to taste nice’. However, when consumers try nākd bars - and realise they can genuinely have both - it hits them like an awesome revelation. We focused on this jaw-dropping, head-popping moment of delight. And in doing so attempt to convert the non-believers.

This led us to the deliberately hyperbolic ‘Mind. Blown!’ campaign, an idea big enough to work across every media channel –TV (a first for the brand), social media, press (grocery retailer magazines), sampling (for commuters at mainline train stations – an experience that also featured actors doing normal things like queuing for a bus, walking to work etc. except, like the characters in the TV ad, their minds have been blown! Experiential executed by Storm) and online (banner ads at online grocery shopping websites). Our tongue-in-cheek creative dramatised what happens when you first sample the miraculously delicious, delightfully varied and surprisingly healthy nākd bars. With all the flavours available, that sound equally like ‘naughty treats’ with names such as Lemon Drizzle and Blueberry Muffin, you’d never get bored - as you would with an apple for example.

Results:

The TV ad achieved the 2nd highest spontaneous awareness in the cereal bar category, just behind Kellogg’s and was one of the most successful TV ads (Top 5% ) ever tested through Millward Brown’s “Link Test”.

The key messages of ‘healthy’, ‘tasty’ and ‘varied’ were replayed significantly above the norm. And ‘likeability’, ‘branding’ and ‘recall’ were all significantly higher than the average.

The campaign also delivered in sales results:

- January 2019 (when the TV was 1st live) was nakd's best sales month ever - increase of +13.4% vs previous year, and significantly ahead of the Total Cereal Bar category which was -1.6%.

- nākd fruit & nut bar range (as featured in the TV ad) grew at 20.9% vs previous year, achieving an all-time high penetration level of 6%.

- nākd bar Return on Sales +16.1% in January 2019

- Blueberry Muffin (star of the TV ad) saw sales spike in January 2019 – 2nd best selling flavour!

- Latest sales data from 2nd TV burst/May 2019): +7.6% increase in sales vs year ago - of which 5% specifically attributed to the TV campaign.

(Source: IRi/Kantar/Nursery)

"The Mind.Blown! positioning and campaign has been such a success story for the nākd brand. Not only has it generated clear commercial results but it has energised our entire business, improved relationships with our customers, and given us a creative platform to build on into the future." Marina Love-Smith, Marketing Director, Natural Balance Foods

nākd - Mind. Blown!

CREDITS

Anna Gladwin

Ross Nance

James McColgan

Dom Roe

Matt Waller

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