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Behind the Work in association withThe Immortal Awards
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Why HERSHEY’S CHIPITS Encouraged Canadians to Fake It ‘Til They Baked It

18/01/2023
Advertising Agency
Toronto, Canada
248
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Mint copywriter Jeff McQuarrie and HERSHEY’S CHIPITS’ Cerella Zhao and Rebecca Paddock discuss why they created a campaign for the infrequent bakers, writes LBB’s Josh Neufeldt

Baked goods are delicious! Sugary or savoury, tongue-burningly hot or room temperature, it’s rare that someone will say no to a well-prepared, oven-made treat. However, ‘well-prepared’ may be the operative term. If the recipe isn’t the best, the execution is flawed, or the ingredients aren’t quite right, a valid concern is the resulting quality of said baking. 

To some then, the possibility of disaster might seem like a gatekeeper of getting into the baking game. If the recipe isn’t followed precisely, and one’s technique isn’t flawless, doesn’t that mean the only way to create a tasty treat is to be a baking pro? For HERSHEY’S CHIPITS, the answer is an unequivocal no. Partnering with Mint, the two worked together to release ‘Fake it ‘til you Bake it’, a campaign that ran throughout Fall 2022 encouraging amateur bakers to embrace the skills they have - confident in the knowledge that with ‘CHIPITS’ involved, the final product would inevitably be delicious. 

Inspired specifically by the insight that many Canadians started baking during the pandemic, the campaign - which featured two spots showcasing occasional bakers who hit a bump in the road, but find their solution through pouring a bag of ‘CHIPITS’ into their recipes - was amplified through OLV, social, Pinterest, and display placements. 

To learn more, LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with Mint copywriter Jeff McQuarrie, and HERSHEY’S CHIPITS associate marketing manager Cerella Zhao and marketing manager Rebecca Paddock, discussing how this sweet campaign came to be. 



LBB> ‘Fake it ‘til you Bake it’ ran from September 2022 to December. As such, what was the brief, and how did this campaign come to pass?


Cerella> The objective of the brief was to encourage occasional bakers to try baking simple, easy recipes with HERSHEY’S ‘CHIPITS’. Baking can be a little daunting, especially for someone who doesn’t bake very often. We wanted our campaign to speak directly to this group of bakers, acknowledging the moments of doubt that may arise and celebrating the delicious cookie at the end of their baking experience. 

Jeff> We were tasked with getting non-bakers to bake with CHIPITS, so we had to find a creative way to resonate with and champion our target audience. With this in mind, our line ‘Fake it ‘til you bake it’ quickly became the jumping-off point for the idea, using scenarios an amateur baker might find themselves in to show the confidence you get from baking with CHIPITS.



LBB> This campaign was meant to resonate with the many Canadians who started baking during the pandemic. What was the research process like for understanding this demographic, and how did these insights impact the campaign’s development?


Rebecca> We conduct regular research to understand how our target consumers are engaging in baking and the HERSHEY’S CHIPITS brand. We leveraged multiple quantitative and qualitative research sources to develop our brief, and the creative developed by Mint delivered on the objectives set out in the brief. 



LBB> The idea of just pouring CHIPITS into a bowl to instantly make delicious baked goods is quite clever, as is the tagline itself. What was the writing process like, and were these ideas instant winners, or were there others under consideration?  


Jeff>  There were a number of other ideas we loved and shared as well, but we kept coming back to the simplicity and fun in this one. It was playful and made total sense. We felt like we could do a lot in just 15 seconds, and that our campaign line would resonate with our target audience. 



LBB> Who directed the shorts, and what made them perfect for the job?


Jeff> We had Jesse Senko help bring our vision to life, and his experience combined with his quirky sense of humour made him perfect for the job. He got what we were going for right away, and worked hard to make it happen. 



LBB> What was the casting process like? What went into finding the perfect actors for the spots?


Jeff> Casting was a bit tricky, because the talent was silent on camera. This meant that we had to rely solely on their physical performances. Still, we were thrilled with who we found, because they were naturally comedic and the performances never felt forced. 



LBB> What challenges have you faced during this project? How did you overcome them?


Jeff> We hit some typical production roadblocks along the way, but by working with a team that was scrappy and quick-thinking, we were able to put all of the pieces together and create a campaign we were really happy with! 

Cerella> We found that most recipes yield a large batch of the final baked good. However, occasional bakers are not usually baking for a crowd. So, we needed to develop single-serve recipes that were simple, quick, and delicious. The result? Our partners developed two amazing recipes that were featured in the two spots. The first is the HERSHEY’S CHIPITS ‘Butterscotch Chip Fudge Brownie for One’, and the second is HERSHEY’S ‘Double Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookie’. Each recipe takes less than 35 minutes! 



LBB> What made Late 2022 the perfect time to run this campaign?


Jeff> As we began celebrating holidays together again, launching the campaign right before Thanksgiving felt like the perfect time to encourage our target to bake. 

Cerella> October to December is the biggest baking season of the year in Canada, which makes it the most important time to connect with our target consumers. 


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