Cadbury Gems, one of India’s oldest and much-loved chocolate button brands, hosted a one-of-its-kind virtual birthday party, inviting parents with their kids, from across the country. Undoubtedly, the pandemic and all the restrictions that came with it, kids have missed going to school, meeting friends, and most importantly dampened the birthday spirit amongst children, something kids really love and look forward to. Cadbury #GemsBigBirthdayParty gave a chance to celebrate a special day online and feel their ultimate, fun self.
Speaking on the success of India’s first such birthday party with Cadbury Gems, Mondelez India senior director – marketing Anil Viswanathan said, “If there’s one day that every child dearly looks forward to all through the year, it’s their birthday – and this is also a day that parents look forward to making special for the kids. As a brand that has always been known for bringing alive masti and joy, we wanted to find a unique way to gift kids this experience and not let the pandemic get the better of their excitement. Over the last year, celebrations have taken newer shapes courtesy of the infinite possibilities that digital mediums offer. At Mondelez India, we continue to find these newer avenues of engagement that allow us to create meaningful moments of joy with our consumers. We are extremely delighted that Cadbury #GemsBigBirthdayParty brought together families from across the nation to attend this fun-filled day despite being physically distanced.”
Over the last five decades, Cadbury Gems has become synonymous with fun, joy, and colours. To bring alive the masti this time, the brand decided to pull all stops to ensure that the kids get a laughter-filled, adrenaline-pumping birthday bash. The unique party format not only got the children and their parents to be a part of a world record where thousands of them popped open a pack of ‘More Chocolaty Gems’ at the start of the event but also engage with favorite characters like Chhota Bheem and child YouTube kids’ sensation Aayu and Pihu. Right from the creative acts by Chhota Bheem to chocolate illusions, sand art, interactions with the two stars, and sharing a mega cake-cutting moment, the party guaranteed a Gems-filled experience that was- chocolaty, colorful, and abundant.
Commenting on the campaign, Ogilvy India executive creative director Neville Shah said, “It’s been two years of everything online. Work, school, classes, even parties for kids have been mostly online. And don’t children deserve a birthday full of fun and friends? But how? That’s an interesting problem to solve. Cadbury Gems is a brand that has stood for masti. And as a brand, we couldn’t just sit back and let one more birthday party be reduced to a simple video call. Especially ours. That’s where the idea stemmed from. The advantage was it was going to be online. We decided this was going to be the biggest, funniest, most colorful birthday party yet. We leveraged technology, made influencers seek invitations, and showcased content. This got an overwhelming response – with lakhs of event registrations across India. The event was so big that it entered the Guinness World Records as the biggest virtual birthday party in the world. Now, that’s a happy birthday.”
Wavemaker India CCO and head-west Shekhar Banerjee added, “We are in a world where birthday wishes over video calls are becoming a norm, but it is nowhere close to a big birthday party with so many experiences. Our challenge was to make sure we create an experience that is unique for families and their kids, especially those who have missed out on the fun of celebrating Birthday parties during the pandemic. The response was overwhelming; lakhs of consumers registered for the event and enjoyed the party. Big enough to be called the biggest virtual birthday in the world as per Guinness World Records.”
This celebration was powered through a mobile-friendly interactive micro site that enabled kids to consume entertaining content while playing micro-games. Cadbury Gems is also partnering with some NGOs to have the event unfolded in a few orphanages and celebrate the day with cakes and goodies.