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By Kendra Barnett, Associate Editor

May 10, 2022 | 4 min read

On a mission to capture dollars from younger consumers, premium chocolate brand Godiva is repositioning itself as the chocolate for every occasion. And it's doing so with a little help from America’s most charming superhero.

Forget all the clichés you've seen in chocolate ads before. Chocolatier Godiva today launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign, voiced by actor Chris Evans, that aims to shake things up — and make the world want its chocolate every day.

The campaign, dubbed ‘Godiva is Chocolate,’ aims to reposition the nearly century-old brand as a modern player in the confection space with something to add to every occasion in a consumer’s life. Developed by advertising and commerce agency TracyLocke, the new campaign signals a departure from traditional tropes for chocolate brands. There’s no sensual, soft voiceover or slow-mo shots of a conventionally attractive woman biting into a truffle. There are certainly no shots of a toque-clad chef with a handlebar mustache slowly whisking a bowl of melted chocolate.

Instead, Captain America star Chris Evans voices the new spots with levity, and commercial director Lena Beug — who’s worked with clients ranging from Google to Ikea — infuses a relatable tone and a bit of humor. The campaign includes four video spots, each of which spotlight a different product: Godiva's Signature Mini Bars, Chocolate Domes, Masterpieces and Classic Gold Collection.

“This is the new Godiva: colorful, joyful, approachable, with the same premium quality you deserve any day of the week,” says the brand’s global chief executive officer Nurtac Afridi. She explains that Evans was the ideal fit from a talent perspective due to his “on- and off-screen confidence, charisma and approachability,” which embody the tone that the brand hopes to strike.

The goal is to modernize Godiva’s brand and give consumers more reasons to buy Godiva chocolates year-round — not just for Valentine’s Day. “Godiva hopes to engage with both our beloved and emerging consumer base in a more dynamic and vibrant way that is particularly relevant to today’s market — a market where consumers celebrate life and reward themselves,” explains Afridi. “From a single-serve chocolate bar to formal gifting, there is a Godiva product for anyone and for anytime.”

The objective is reflected not only in the campaign’s name — ‘Godiva is Chocolate’ — but also in the various taglines featured in the creative, which include, “Godiva is the Life of the Party Chocolate,” “Godiva is Whenever You Need Chocolate Chocolate,” “Godiva is Your Easiest Choice of the Day Chocolate,” and “Godiva is Buy It As A Gift, Or Keep It For Yourself Chocolate.”

Girl with afro biting into a small Godiva chocolate bar and smiling

With the new push, the company is also hoping to grow its audience and capture a larger portion of the millennial demographic. “Our number one goal is to engage with our existing audience as well as new audiences where they are shopping and where they consume media today,” says Afridi. “Our process began with understanding the consumers wants and needs and ensuring that consumer preferences were at the forefront [of campaign development].”

The company has already seen impressive growth over the past year, due in large part to its increasing focus on e-commerce. In fact, Godiva’s share of the online market for premium chocolate is now almost three times that of its share of the traditional brick-and-mortar consumer packaged goods segment, per data from market research firm IRI.

That’s not to say Godiva isn’t seeing success outside of e-commerce — in the States, Godiva’s total market share and sales distribution grew, and consumption rose 32% from 2020 to 2021. With its new brand positioning, it could be poised for even greater growth this year.

To further its mission of repositioning the brand as an everyday treat for all kinds of consumers, Afridi says that the company is “investing in new innovations” to bring its products to all kinds of occasions and expand purchases beyond the world of gifting.

The new campaign debuts today across the US, Canada, China and EMEA and will span connected TV (CTV), online video, digital, social, out-of-home and in-store retail channels. The company is especially focused on marketing via CTV and over-the-top video, according to Afridi, who points out that streaming offers a valuable opportunity “to engage with both our existing and growing audiences.”

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Creative Works CPG Chris Evans

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