Want to win millennial’s hearts? Save cheesy for the flavor of the chips, not for the campaigns

Chio’s popularity in Czechia was high back in the ’90s. Delisted 10 years ago and focusing on the niche market of nuts and short snacks, the brand lacked a core business to carry the brand alone. Wishing to relaunch, Chio Chips had the opportunity to develop into a strong brand that would resonate with a young target audience, currently buying Lay’s and other competing products, while not stealing the market share from the Bohemia Chips umbrella brand.

To solve this challenge for McCann Prague, together in a Czech-American team of students of the Charles University of Prague and the University of Missouri-Columbia we have developed a re-launch campaign and brand base that solidified Chio as the brand that resonated with our target of people between 15 and 30 years old: Chio. Like you.

Scope

  • Advertisement
  • Brand Building
  • Strategy
  • OOH
  • Print
  • In-store

Awards & Achievements

  • Winning concept of the Summer School Challenge
  • Concept passed to the National Campaign

Chio. Like You. Not that fancy fairytale you hear all around

From our research findings, it became clear that our competitors and many brands fall short in trying to reach our target. The advertisements are often excessive, corny, and set unrealistic standards for excitement and happiness in life. So, many brands attempt to convince young audiences that their products will make their lives more exciting and bold. But…

Our target sees through this. They know that a brand does not define their lives, and a chip alone won’t instantly make it more exciting. Besides, these ads are constant messages that they should be living an unrealistic lifestyle. Like that, where companies intended to catch the target with the “lifestyle” advertisements, Czech youth felt being mocked and perceived these ads as comical. In line with their love for sarcastic humor, we’ve introduced:

Chio. Like You.

No more commercials filled with wild and fake parties, extreme sports, or people running through the city while shamelessly flaring a piece of branded content. Instead, a brand that understands real life and says what you really do…is just fine.

Our re-launch campaign consisted of a 360° approach, from the strategic to the executive elements. Within the strategic part, we have included research in the target group, earning key insights and SWOT analysis. The executive part introduced the creative concept, including television spots, Facebook strategy, OOH interactive marketing, print, radio, in-store, and advertising remake solutions.

A little tasting from the concept plan?

Chio is bold and dares to mock unrealistic brands. “Like You”, invites the consumers into the challenge, where they remake corny, unrealistic print advertisements to show their reality. For example, to remake an unrealistic advertisement of a group of men whitewater rafting, consumers would submit a photo of them unsuccessfully canoeing on a murky river. This tactic allows our consumers to join in on ridiculing false standards of excitement set by advertisements and show themselves having a good time with their friends.

Results? Victory!

Our sarcastic, yet sober approach resonating with the target audience won the hearts of both McCann Prague and their clients in Bohemia Chips. Like that, our team won the whole competition and passed the campaign ideas onto the national level, where the brand personality and valuable insights were utilized.