Playing off of the brand’s iconic jingle, “Gimme a Break,” what if we actually did just that? What if we rewarded our crime victim, Jobbins, and the students at Kansas State, a Kit Kat® break of a lifetime? Would our generous act of Kit Kat® kindness encourage our hungry thief to step forward?

There was only one way to find out: Set a candy trap: transform Jobbins’ Camry into a veritable chocolate-mobile– a “Kit Kat® car”– stuffed with 6,500 candy bars. It would lure Gen-Zs in droves. In the frenzy, we might find and pardon the thief, while offering the student body their sweetest break ever.

Our candy criminologists would have to do it on a skinny budget and condensed timeline, while solving sticky logistical issues—how to coordinate a guerilla-style “candy trap,” get Jobbins in on the stunt, and capture the attention of media and Kansas State students.

First, we consoled Jobbins with a tweet and promise of some needed Kit Kat® aid. Within 48 hours, we were on-scene at Kansas State to plan our surprise break, one that would be so irresistible that it might lure the thief to come clean. We packed Jobbins’ five-seater with 6,500+ candy bars, parked near the crime scene, and watched a crowd of “suspects” ogle the bait.

It required fast work. PR worked through the night to coordinate with Jobbins and brief the media on our scheme. To stretch our $12,000 budget, we enlisted student volunteers to turn Jobbins’ car into an amazing candy stash and media spectacle. Word spread that something special was going down at 4:30 p.m. Would the thief take the bait?

Finally, as Jobbins posed for photos in his chocolate-filled Camry, hundreds of students gathered, taking Snapchats and selfies to commemorate the best Kit Kat® break ever.

Crime doesn’t pay—except, in this instance, when nearly a thousand students shared Kit Kat® “fingers” and perhaps secretly hoped the thief would strike again.

Business Outcomes:

• The savvy PR campaign is being credited with helping the Kit Kat® brand achieve a $37.6M sales growth, a 5.8% increase over the previous year, significantly outpacing Candy Mint Gum category growth of only 0.5% in 2016 (Kit Kat® percentage growth was 10 times that of the average category growth).

• In 2016, Kit Kat® share of category share rose to 2.8% of the total Candy Mint Gum category (~$24 billion), an increase of +0.1 share points.

Media Outputs:

The press literally ate up our story.

• Virtually every major U.S. media outlet covered the story—some twice, including ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, Inside Edition, Associated Press, and Huffington Post.

• We earned 642.7M media impressions and 1,250 placements—all within a week—and with a $12,000 PR budget.

Target Outcomes:

We also increased fan engagement.

• The tweet of the thief’s note earned 185,000 retweets and 489,000 likes.

• The Kit Kat® Facebook page garnered 128,000 likes, 21,000 shares and 10,000 comments.

• Fans retweeted an ESPN tweet 48,000+ times, with 106,000+ likes and 27.6M impressions.

The thief remains at large. Meanwhile, back in Kansas, Jobbins was last seen driving a car full of Kit Kat® bars, with thumbs up and a smile of sweet revenge.