Unilever's U-Studio and Oliver Agency Win Accolades for Engaging Gen X with Klondike's Bar-cade Campaign
Unilever's in-house agency U-Studio, in collaboration with the Oliver Agency, bagged the Most Effective Use of Group or Community Award for their ground-breaking 'Bar-cade' campaign for Klondike at The Drum Awards for Social Media 2022. The campaign revolved around bringing back the 80s to re-engage generation X with a range of activities surrounding the retro-themed 'Klondike Bar-cade'. The brand targeted its core demographic of 40-55-year-olds and aimed to provide a series of gaming experiences based on generation X's favorite arcade games, remixed with Klondike's products and innovations.
Klondike launched Bar-cade just as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X were released. The campaign gave away working Bar-cade consoles along with social content and new and existing social media platforms. Klondike became the first verified food brand on SpaceHey, a platform recalling the nostalgic days of internet communication, and also set up the 'What Would You Do' hotline whereby gen Xers were able to call and tell the brand what they would do for a Klondike.
The campaign resonated with the target audience, with the real-world Bar-cade consoles becoming incredibly popular. Some people offered to trade their PlayStation 5s for them and the brand garnered a significant fan base on Twitter, which it later transferred to Instagram through an additional 'scavenger hunt' activation. The 'scavenger hunt' achieved over 15 million impressions with a five percent increase in Instagram followers. During the campaign's run, #4aKlondike became the 20th most-tweeted hashtag globally.
By blending nostalgia with modern-day trends, Klondike's 'Bar-cade' campaign was successful in engaging younger generations and re-engaging the core demographic of 40-55-year-olds. The campaign highlights the importance of effectively targeting hard-to-reach audiences through creative campaigns that tap into the consumers' emotional connection with the brand.
Gen X Candy Campaigns
Klondike's Bar-cade Campaign Engages Gen X Consumers
Trend Themes
1. Cross-generational Nostalgia Marketing - Marketing campaigns that tap into the emotional connection of multiple generations can effectively engage difficult to reach demographics.
2. Brand Gamification - Incorporating gamification into a brand's marketing strategy can generate significant social media engagement and a loyal fan base.
3. Social Media Platform Diversification - Exploring new and nostalgic social media platforms, such as SpaceHey, can provide a unique opportunity to connect with consumers.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage - Klondike's Bar-cade campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of creative marketing strategies in the food and beverage industry.
2. Advertising and Marketing - Unilever's U-Studio and the Oliver Agency showcase the potential for in-house advertising and marketing agencies to produce winning campaign strategies.
3. Gaming and Entertainment - The success of Klondike's Bar-cade campaign points to opportunities for collaboration between brands in the gaming and entertainment industries and traditional consumer brands for creative marketing campaigns.