Amidst a crowded landscape of Valentine's Day campaigns, Cadbury 5Star strategically positioned itself to capture the attention of GenZ, leveraging its established appeal with this audience.

Recognising that Valentine's Day serves as an opportune moment to engage with GenZ and solidify brand affinity, Cadbury 5Star embarked on a mission to resonate deeply with them. With a legacy of providing an alternative narrative for singles on Valentine's Day, the brand empowered GenZ to embrace a day of leisure by subverting Valentine’s Day's clichés. Moreover, historical data revealed heightened sales for Cadbury 5Star during this period compared to other quarters, underscoring the significance of leveraging the day to drive growth. Thus, the campaign was meticulously timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, strategically capitalising on cultural nuances and market conditions to foster engagement and resonance among the target audience, ultimately aiming to enhance brand loyalty and drive sales.

The insight stemmed from understanding GenZ's disdain for conventional Valentine's Day celebrations. Every year, 5Star champions those seeking to escape romantic clichés, embodying the essence of 'do nothing'.

This year, we devised a groundbreaking concept: the F.N.S. Cringe Vinash, a time-travel vessel with a mission – to erase Valentine’s Day entirely. Partnering with space scientist Nambi Narayanan, we crafted a narrative of rebellion against mushy cringe, resonating deeply with GenZ's countercultural mindset.

The vessel embarked on a daring journey, passing the Samoa Islands to cross the international date line at 11:59 pm on February 13, 2024 (AST), effectively skipping the 24 hours of Valentine's Day. This endeavour symbolized a bold quest to redefine Valentine's Day.

By transcending time zones, the F.N.S. Cringe Vinash reshaped the V-day narrative, aligning seamlessly with 5Star's ethos of non-conformity. This innovative approach captured attention and also solidified 5Star's position as a trailblazer in countercultural marketing.

Cadbury 5Star's strategic approach prioritised two key objectives: amplifying the countercultural narrative and authentically engaging GenZ. Recognising the divergent sentiments within this demographic towards Valentine's Day, the focus was on disrupting conventional messaging associated with the occasion. Leveraging platforms such as YouTube mastheads and collaborating with influencers allowed for a targeted approach to reach the GenZ audience effectively.

The campaign was meticulously structured into three phases to ensure a cohesive and impactful rollout. Phase 1, ‘Mission Introduction’, aimed to generate intrigue and awareness by unveiling the mission. Phase 2, ‘Launch Event Reminders’, focused on sustaining anticipation and encouraging participation through reminders across various touchpoints. Finally, Phase 3, ‘D-Day Activation’, marked the culmination of the campaign with a highly-anticipated live event.

This strategic approach ensured maximum visibility and impact while staying true to the brand's ethos.

Execution was meticulously structured into three phases, each with distinct objectives:

Phase 1, ‘Mission Unveiled’, utilised impactful YouTube mastheads and outdoor billboards to generate intrigue and announce the mission, capturing the audience's attention effectively.

Phase 2, ‘Countdown Commences’, employed countdown tickers and strategic influencer partnerships to sustain anticipation and remind the audience to join the launch event, ensuring continued engagement leading up to the big day.

Phase 3, ‘The D-Day Event’, culminated in a highly -anticipated live stream led by the wittiest content creators and live streaming experts in India, Tanmay Bhatt and Samay Raina, who resonated deeply with the single GenZ audience. This phase aimed to captivate the audience's imagination and drive significant engagement, mirroring the precision and scale of national missions like Chandrayaan. Each phase seamlessly transitioned into the next, maximizing impact and engagement while effectively conveying Cadbury 5Star's message of countercultural rebellion.

• The campaign delivered a substantial increase in sales of 5%, a notable surge in consideration by 10pp, and a remarkable boost in brand trust by 23 points compared to the previous Valentine's Day.

• With a staggering reach of over 235 million individuals, the campaign garnered an astounding 190 million views and prompted 2.2 million interactions, reflecting its widespread resonance.

• Notably, an overwhelming 86% positive sentiment prevailed, with organic views soaring to an impressive 46 million.

• The pivotal YouTube Live event witnessed remarkable engagement, with 12.5K individuals actively participating and an astounding 410K viewers joining live.

• The campaign bolstered brand affinity and loyalty, solidifying Cadbury 5Star's position as a trailblazer in the marketing landscape.

• Cadbury 5Star's ‘Do Nothing’ campaign achieved unprecedented scale and impact, reaffirming its pioneering role in countercultural marketing and revolutionising audience engagement practices.