In spring 2013 we launched a campaign to position the happy egg co. as a leading authority on hen welfare and make consumers realise the only free range eggs worth buying are happy eggs.

The challenge was to grab back consumer attention and affection. While the brand had high saliency, awareness of its welfare standards had lapsed. Additionally a 2012 EU report criticised free-range egg production in the UK, which was widely reported and damaged consumer confidence in the industry.

The campaign objective was to show how the happy egg co. go above and beyond for its hens, thereby igniting brand affection and loyalty, but also showing how this this impacts on the rational benefits of the products, including taste.

A PR strategy was developed to demonstrate to media and consumers why happy egg hens are happy, through a programme of targeted media relations activity.

Three bigger, disruptive, brand moments would deliver happy egg co. ‘good news’ stories, showing how the company’s hens were happier (and therefore laid tastier eggs):

• Creating the first chick lit for hens with a bestselling author

• An academic review revealing that chicks may be brighter than toddlers

• A calendar of cockerel pin-ups for hens, inspired by research showing that hens are calmer in their company.

Over 300 national and international outlets covered the campaign reaching 64.8m people. The Advertising Value Equivalent was £1.6m representing an ROI of 10:1. the happy egg co. attributed 5.49% growth in the brand value to the campaign.

Three disruptive brand moments that would make the happy egg co. a national talking point.

May 2013: Chick Lit

We commissioned British author Catherine Alliott to write a story that the hens could listen to at bed time. Falling for Clooney was given to all happy egg co. producers to play in their hen houses. The story was also made available to download or stream free.

June 2013: Bird Brain

An academic review to dispel one of history’s oldest myths by revealing that chickens are far higher up the intellectual pecking order than previously thought – and in fact possess mental skills that are superior to human toddlers.

December 2013: Nice Pecks

Inspired by an academic study showing that hens are calmer in the company of cockerels, but knowing that cockerels result in no eggs, we created Nice Pecks – a cockerel pin-up calendar for hens inspired by Hollywood hearthrobs.

The campaign reinforced brand personality and welfare credentials – differentiating it from other brands.

Brand consideration improved significantly (52% vs. 41% 12 months earlier) with 31% saying they buy happy eggs – up 10% on the previous year.

The happy egg co. attributed 5.49% growth in the brand's value directly to the campaign.

340 pieces of positive national and international coverage communicated the brand’s commitment to hen happiness, reaching 64.8m, with an AVE of £1.6m and an ROI of 10:1.

• 4,500 people listened to and shared Chick Lit resulting in a 7% virality rate. Global CBS coverage reached an audience of 15.1m.

• Bird Brain was covered by every UK national and the story went global in The Herald Sun and Wall Street Journal.

• 2,000 people watched the Nice Pecks video in five days with no paid-for seeding.

• the happy egg co. Facebook community grew by 25%.