Easter is a huge market in the UK with 74% of people celebrating and an estimated £960 million spent during the period.*
Just like Christmas, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day it’s a calendar occasion to plan campaigns around, launch exciting new products and to create engaging content.
There weren’t many out and out Easter campaigns this year, lots of weird and wonderful Easter eggs, hot cross buns and other bunny adorned products (which we will talk more about in our April trends blog) but there were a couple that stood out in 2023!
A footlong Creme Egg please
Two iconic brands in Cadbury’s and Subway teaming up to deliver something nobody ever asked for a footlong Crème Egg sub.
Crème eggs have always delivered much debate, with fans across the world debating the right and wrong way to eat them showing that headlines aren’t too far behind with their legion of loyal fans. And the same goes for Subway, so when two behemoths come together it’s sure to be a lot of fun.
The news achieved coverage in the likes of The Independent and Mirror as well as lots of regional and broadcast coverage, and even saw mentions down under making it a huge success on that front.
What I love about it more is they actually made them, what so easily could have been a fake product launch was turned into a reality as journalists were invited to try these and share their verdict.
There was also some great social content off the back of it which got people trying to make their own versions and sharing them online.
However, as great as the campaign was, it did miss a trick! No landing page, no recipe online – nothing to drive links from all the amazing coverage, it reminds me of the time Gregg’s nailed its Valentine’s day campaign and sent all the traffic to a third party booking site.
Who knows they might bring it back next year with a few improvements and gobble up all that SEO benefit – I feel a public vote coming on for the sale of these nationwide.
Milka Melting Hearts
Everyone’s favourite airport chocolate Milka launched a warm and fuzzy campaign over Easter teaming up with French NGO – Aveugles de France to creating it’s ‘Beeping Bunny’ campaign aimed to help visually impaired children experience the joy of an Easter egg hunt.
A specially designed chocolate bunny attached to a device that emitted a special sonic sound making it possible to locate the sweet reward through the sense of hearing. And of course, enjoyed with the sense of taste once they had discovered it!
It got lots of nice international coverage and fantastic engagement on social media, whilst also having a really nice CSR angle for the brand too.
You can watch the heartwarming video here:
What’s Next?
So, there’s a glance at two stand out Easter campaigns that we liked this year, but PR never stands still, which has got us asking, what’s next?
The supermarkets are usually a good indicator of what trend is next, we joke every year that as soon as boxing day rolls around there’s easter eggs on the shelves. And just as the last discounted mini eggs leaves the shelves, we see it replaced with melamine dishes, citronella candles, picnic blankets and disposable BBQs – for the supermarkets summer is on its way and that means al fresco dining, festival fits and summer serves.
There’s also the small thing of the coronation as well… check out our latest blog!
