Kit Kat "Mail" CLIO Award Winning Innovative Media Advertisement

Summary

In Japan, KitKat is more than just a chocolate bar; it's a symbol of good luck, especially for students facing entrance exams. GWT leveraged this cultural connection by launching KitKat Mail, a collaboration with Japan Post. This innovative campaign allowed people to buy KitKats at post offices, write messages of encouragement, and mail them to loved ones. The initiative generated over $11 million in free publicity, transforming KitKat into a lasting symbol of fortune and success in Japan, demonstrating the power of creativity and strategic partnerships.

Takeaways

• 😀 KitKat is pronounced 'keto katsu' in Japan, which means 'surely win' and symbolizes good luck.
• 😀 The Japanese retail market is highly competitive, making KitKat’s cultural relevance crucial for its success.
• 😀 GWT, the creative agency, helped KitKat transform from just a product to a media experience.
• 😀 KitKat Mail was introduced as an innovative collaboration with Japan Post to send KitKat bars with personal messages.
• 😀 The partnership between KitKat and Japan Post marked the first-ever collaboration between a private brand and a government institution in Japan.
• 😀 KitKat Mail targeted the annual tradition of sending good luck messages to students before school entrance exams.
• 😀 Consumers could buy KitKat bars at post offices, write messages on them, and mail them to loved ones.
• 😀 The KitKat Mail campaign generated over $11 million worth of free publicity.
• 😀 The campaign was successful in merging tradition, creativity, and a product in a way that deeply resonated with the Japanese culture.
• 😀 KitKat Mail’s success helped solidify KitKat as a symbol of good fortune, going beyond its role as a simple chocolate bar.
• 😀 The campaign earned unanimous gold recognition for its creativity and innovation, surprising and delighting audiences.

Q & A

Why is KitKat pronounced differently in Japan compared to other countries?

In Japan, KitKat is pronounced 'Keto Katsu,' which sounds like the Japanese phrase 'keto katsu,' meaning 'surely win.' This creates a cultural association with good luck, especially for students taking entrance exams.

What was the key cultural insight behind KitKat's success in Japan?

The key cultural insight was that KitKat's name sounded like 'keto katsu,' a phrase associated with winning, which resonated with the Japanese custom of sending good luck messages, particularly during exam season.

What innovative strategy did GWT develop for KitKat in Japan?

GWT developed the concept of KitKat becoming a media product itself by leveraging Japan's postal system. They created KitKat mail, a KitKat bar that could be bought at post offices, where people could write messages of encouragement and send them to students.

What role did Japan Post play in the KitKat campaign?

Japan Post played a pivotal role by becoming the first-ever government institution to partner with a private company like KitKat. They facilitated the sale and mailing of KitKat bars with messages of good luck, turning KitKat into a symbol of encouragement.

How did the KitKat mail campaign impact the brand's visibility?

The KitKat mail campaign generated over $11 million worth of free publicity and became a nationwide phenomenon, further cementing KitKat's association with good fortune and success, especially in the context of education.

What did the KitKat mail campaign aim to achieve during exam season?

The campaign aimed to inspire people to send KitKat bars with personalized good luck messages to students preparing for school entrance exams, leveraging the cultural connection between KitKat and success.

How did the KitKat mail campaign differentiate itself from traditional advertising?

Instead of focusing on traditional advertising, the campaign created a lasting, tangible product in the form of KitKat mail, which people could send as a symbol of goodwill. It integrated the product into the cultural practice of sending good luck messages.

What was the significance of the partnership between KitKat and Japan Post?

The partnership between KitKat and Japan Post was significant as it marked the first time a government entity and a private brand collaborated in such a way. This collaboration helped KitKat become a culturally embedded product in Japan, going beyond just a chocolate bar.

Why was the KitKat mail campaign so successful?

The success of the KitKat mail campaign can be attributed to its deep cultural relevance, innovative use of Japan's postal service, and the emotional appeal of sending a good luck message during a high-stakes time like entrance exams.

How did the KitKat mail campaign change the perception of KitKat in Japan?

The campaign transformed KitKat from just a chocolate bar into a symbol of good luck and success, making it synonymous with positive outcomes in the Japanese cultural context, particularly among students.