This week, Tony’s Chocolonely placed six single-page ads in Reach titles to drive more consumers to join its fight against exploitation in the cocoa industry
This Reach partnership is part of the brand’s biggest-ever UK 360 campaign, which includes its first ever TVC on Sky channels, the Reach campaign, social content, plus a live experiential at Kings Cross taking place on Thursday, 19th March. The activation will star the wrestlers from the TV ad, who will do a series of live fights.
Created by House of Oddities, the TV commercial introduces two wrestlers, Tony and X-Ploitation. Both battle it out in the background as two women sit on a sofa discussing exploitation in the chocolate industry while enjoying a bar of Tony’s Chocolonely’s signature milk chocolate.
The wrestler X-Ploitation acts as a physical representation of the cocoa industry’s darker side when other brands fail to pay for ethical cocoa, with the three biggest issues facing the industry being poverty, child labour, and deforestation. This is what Tony’s is fighting against – both in the wrestling ring and in the real world.
Reaching millions of viewers in premium, brand-safe environments, this campaign enables Tony’s to tell a complex story simply and memorably, creating shared cultural moments that drive both awareness and action.
Ben Rankin, editor-in-chief of the Daily Star, said: “Just like Tony’s there’s more to the Daily Star than meets the eye. Yes, we’re nice and shiny on the outside but there’s real purpose, too.”
Nicola Matthews, UK&I Head of Marketing at Tony’s Chocolonely, comments: “To help boost our TV campaign and the live event at Kings Cross on 19 March, we chose to work with news brands — especially the Reach titles — because they’re a great way to get our message in front of a wider audience.
“We’re incredibly proud of our first 360 campaign. The wrestling concept is a powerful, unexpected, and entertaining way to bring the issue of exploitation in the cocoa industry to life. We worked with System1 to test and optimise the creative and hope it will resonate with both existing fans and new audiences.
“Tony’s Chocolonely has been fighting exploitation in the global cocoa industry for 20 years. With our biggest-ever 360 campaign, we want to show that being part of that change has never been simpler or more delicious. Simply, by choosing Tony’s, chocolate lovers can join our fight, bar by bar, bite by bite, to end exploitation in cocoa with us.”
