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Keebler

Keebler Munch 'Ems wanted to raise unit sales during the notoriously slow spring time period. The problem was how to stand out in the very competitive and highly-segmented cracker category, whose biggest sales period--the holidays, Super Bowl, Valentines Day--had just passed and whose second most lucrative time period--summer--was still months away.

SOLUTION

 

• Created The Ernie Awards, named for Ernie the Keebler Elf and a take-off on The Academy Awards--the only significant event during the time period but one that consumers would likely snack to while viewing.

• Developed a whimsical, humorous, tongue-in-cheek print campaign and in-store materials that mimicked all things Hollywood, complete with Variety-like art and copy replete with gossipy tell-all tidbits about the product.

• Extended the campaign's effectiveness and created genuine excitement with the addition of promotional elements: a sweeps overlay with a trip to Hollywood to attend the Oscars as prize, movie passes, attendance at premiers, VCR and DVD players, rentals, movie posters, etc. Involved consumers by awarding "The Ernie" (the equivalent of

 

"The Oscar" in the snack cracker world) as well as the above prizes to consumers who correctly picked from various invented product attribute categories such as "Best Snack Cracker in a Leading Role" etc.• Created TV and radio that aped old-time movie trailers.• Campaign ran up to and during the actual Academy Awards broadcast keeping The Ernie Awards an "event within an event."

RESULTS
 

• Keebler Munch 'Ems sales spiked significantly during the spring time period.

• The Ernie Awards prompted other Keebler brands to copy its success.

• The campaign's promotional aspect "drove" the advertising instead of vice versa.

• Movie tie-ins, previously never considered at Keebler, became effective marketing tool companywide.

• Campaign singled out for praise in Adweek's Creative Gallery.

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