McVitie’s Welcomes New Member to the “Sweeet” Family

United Biscuits (UB) launched a GBP1.3 million advertising campaign to launch McVitie’s BN biscuit range – known for its smiley face and cheeky wink.

The BN campaign will feature a baby owl, and follows McVitie’s masterbrand campaigns earlier this year that used a tarsier for Jaffa Cakes, puppies for Digestives and kittens for Chocolate Digestives. The animals and the ‘Sweeet’ strapline in the campaign aim to evoke the same feeling and emotional response as people get when eating a McVitie’s biscuit.

One hundred million McVitie’s biscuits are eaten every day – two packets of McVitie’s biscuits every second (Source: Kantar Consumption Panel)

The 30-second advert for BN, which originated from France, uses the well-known Mnah Mnah tune, and features a baby owl popping out of a packet, causing unexpected excitement before it crunches into one of the crispy sandwich biscuits. It runs from 7 July and is being supported by in-store marketing, PR including a blogger-led summer campaign and online marketing – with a significant push through McVitie’s social media channels.

Martin Glenn, CEO of United Biscuits, commented: “These catchy ads will re-launch the famous BN brand, which we think has great potential here in the UK. The cheeky wink, the delicious taste and crunchy texture make for a really enjoyable biscuit occasion with a sense of fun.

“Our masterbrand strategy taps into consumers’ love for our iconic brands by highlighting the importance of the biscuit in everyday life and their emotional appeal. They make a time-out in your day just that little bit more enjoyable.”

United Biscuits products are established as heritage brands worldwide. Thanks to the strength of the range, McVitie’s accounts for about 40% of the everyday biscuits market in the UK, with UB branded biscuits being purchased by around 90% of the UK population last year.