Secret Santa Free Bars
Cadbury
Campaign Objective
To spread goodwill (and brand love) during the holidays by turning a simple QR code poster into a gifting experience – driving engagement and foot traffic as people hunt for posters to send free chocolate.
Campaign Story
Cadbury brought back its beloved “Secret Santa” postal service in Christmas 2023. The brand put up special purple posters in towns and cities – each featuring the Cadbury Secret Santa character and a prominent QR code. Anyone who found a poster could scan the code on their phone. The link led to Cadbury’s Secret Santa website, where they could select a chocolate bar (like Dairy Milk or Oreo variant) and enter a friend’s address for a free surprise delivery – all anonymously as “Santa.” With daily allotments and one bar per person, the story created a treasure hunt feel, as consumers actively searched for posters to share holiday cheer (and chocolate) at no cost.
Execution
Deployed “Secret Santa” posters UK-wide in high foot-traffic areas starting in November
Each poster displayed instructions and a QR code in Cadbury’s signature purple design
User scanned the QR code which launched the Secret Santa web app
User chose one of several Cadbury chocolate bars and provided a recipient’s name and address (no payment needed)
Cadbury mailed the chocolate with a festive note, revealing only that it came from a Secret Santa
Stock was limited to roughly 115,000 bars total, so the campaign encouraged prompt participation each day.
Éxito de la campaña
Se entregaron más de 35 000 barritas en las dos primeras semanas (cifra aproximada; las cifras exactas no son públicas). Las 115 000 barritas gratuitas se canjearon antes de que finalizara la campaña.
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