Godiva sweetens its pitch to millennials with new global ad campaign
As the world emerges from the pandemic, Godiva claims the best way to celebrate the small wonders of life is through chocolate. The brand’s new campaign aims to help the nearly-centenarian chocolatier capitalize on the booming consumer packaged goods (CPG) chocolates market – and attract a younger customer base in the process.
Godiva is looking to continue its hot sales streak by targeting millennials with a new global campaign that invites them to celebrate every day or night.
The campaign looks to position the 95-year-old Belgian-born brand as both aspirational and accessible. ‘That’s the wonder of Godiva’ is centered around a hero film featuring a rhyming narrative that ushers viewers through animated vignettes showcasing different product lines. “Every time you choose Godiva, you open a world of magnificent artistry in every bite: dreamy layers of crunchy delight, blissful escapes wherever you like,” the voiceover chimes.
The spot highlights four CPG products from the chocolate giant’s suite of goodies: its Signature Mini Chocolate Bars, Chocolate Domes, Chocolate Masterpieces and Goldmark Gift Boxes.
“Our new ad campaign ... defines the wonder behind our product portfolio,” says John Galloway, Godiva’s chief marketing officer. “The main objective of the new campaign is to communicate the premium quality of our portfolio of products, their everyday accessibility and the wonder they bring to everyday life. And we’re bringing that wonder to the chocolate aisle in the most whimsical way. We accomplish this by showcasing product-inspired worlds through appetite, appeal and accessibility.”
Millennials: the future of indulgence
While the brand’s core customer base consists of those 40 and older, the goal of the new effort is to target audiences 25 and older. Placements will run across BuzzFeed, Hulu, YouTube and Amazon.
At the same time, Godiva is eager to swallow up an even bigger share of the consumer packaged goods (CPG) segment. With consumers stuck at home and craving sweets, Godiva’s sales have fared very well during the past year or so; its CPG sales account for 29% of the brand’s total worldwide sales and its CPG global business has grown 22% year-on-year. This growth shows little sign of stopping – the brand has already witnessed a sales increase of double digits in the first few months of 2021, according to Galloway.
The global chocolate market is worth close to $150b, with markets like Asia seeing the highest growth in CPG chocolate sales (the sector is expected to reach a valuation of about $182b by 2025). As a global brand, Godiva is well poised to secure a larger portion of the growing space.
“The premium chocolate category is growing fast. Right now we are the fastest growing of the major brands,” Galloway says. “Consumers see Godiva as the foremost option for premium chocolate gifting.” Galloway notes that the brand is seeking to adjust its overall positioning to become “a part of consumers’ daily lives” rather than a luxury gift option.
To aid in this shift, the brand is funneling more resources into the CPG side of its business. “The campaign aims to raise awareness of Godiva’s national availability in food, drug, grocery and mass retailers, and serves as a continuation of the brand’s expansion in the consumer-packaged goods and premium chocolate categories. The brand’s growing presence in the chocolate aisles of supermarkets and drugstores is part of our effort to make our beloved products more accessible.”