KitKat Invites People to ‘Have a Break’ Without Even Saying It

Wunderman Thompson UK has partnered with KitKat to demonstrate how iconic their tagline is, using only five letters to prove the enduring power of a consistent brand message.

KitKat introduced their ‘Have a Break, Have a KitKat’ tagline in 1957, and to this day it’s widely recognised all around the world. In fact, it’s a slogan so well-known that you don’t even have to finish it or add the brand name for people to recognise it, a strategy that worked for the brand 10 years ago with this award-winning ad.

Now KitKat goes one step further, pushing the boundaries of how many letters are needed on a poster to understand a brand message. Embracing the heritage of the brand, integrated marketing agency Wunderman Thompson UK has created a unique type of digital out-of-home poster. Going live this week at the O2 Arena in London, the poster brings the spirit of the brand to life in a way that only KitKat can… by taking a break halfway through creating the ad.

The poster shows only the five letters of ‘Have a’ in white text on a distinctive red background, with the space bar blinking where you would expect to see the word ‘Break’. In a survey run by Wunderman Thompson UK, well over half of people not only identified the brand, but also understood the brand message, demonstrating the power of the ‘Have a Break, Have a KitKat’ tagline.

Tom Drew, executive creative director at Wunderman Thompson UK, comments, ’10 years from the first half-finished billboard, the KitKat slogan is stronger than ever. Even though we’re depicting the copywriter having a break, we certainly won’t be taking one ourselves – even after 66 years, there are still so many stories we can tell for our brilliant KitKat clients.”

Stephanie Scales, senior brand manager KitKat & Biscuits, adds, “KitKat has famously encouraged people to have a break for decades, and this poster took that one step further, encouraging people to have a break without explicitly saying it. All it takes is five letters to communicate one legendary message.”