In Ireland, we love our sweet treats, and confectionery products are, once again, the top grocery category in Ireland.
That is according to the Top 100 Categories in the 2023 Checkout Top 100 Brands, in association with NIQ.
With Valentine’s Day upon us, a sweet treat is the perfect gift for anyone you love – not just a partner.
The makers of Ireland’s top five confectionery brands know that the adjective ‘sweet’ refers to a tasty treat and a kind gesture or a loveable person.
They have all used that knowledge to elicit those feelings of love and fondness in their advertising.
Whether it is celebrating family love, self-love, childhood nostalgia, or just general fondness, these brands have a strong visual language that draws consumers to their products.
Below are some lovely memorable ads from the top five confectionery brands in Ireland in 2023.
Published every August, the Checkout Top 100 Brands is based on branded value sales across the Irish grocery sector, making it the most accurate barometer of the biggest-selling brands in the marketplace.
In compiling the report, NIQ Ireland measures the sales performance of over 5,000 brands from over 200 product classes.
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Dairy Milk
This recent campaign by Dairy Milk – the number-one confectionery brand on the list – takes place in a garage. A man goes to pay for his petrol and buy a chocolate bar, and the young woman at the till says little as he does so. After he pays, he walks away without the chocolate bar, and she knocks on the window to remind him. He smiles and keeps going, and she turns on the microphone and says, “I love you, Dad.”
The final line alters the context of the whole ad, and the sweetness of the interaction becomes clear. Dairy Milk has, in recent years, expanded its advertising to include the idea of sharing and treating loved ones with its product, and this ad is among the most impactful.
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Lindt
As a luxury brand, Lindt relies less on visual advertising – though the image of the chocolatier in a puffy white hat carefully moulding his products is not unfamiliar. Instead, the brand relies on a reliable product and social-media advertising. With a strong social-media presence, posts such as this one convey a sense of comfort and peace that has customers reaching for the product when they are in the mood for a little self-care.
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Haribo
An older ad, but a truly unforgettable one. This sees a group of business people sit down in a boardroom for what appears to be an important meeting. When the first woman opens her mouth to speak, the voice of a child comes out, talking about her favourite Haribo Starmix sweet. Other business people take turns, with important input from other voices as they go.
The cognitive dissonance between the serious setting and the light-hearted voices makes for a charming, nostalgic, sweet ad. It prompts viewers to get in touch with their inner child and think, what better way than with Haribo?
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Kinder
Kinder’s products, such as the Kinder egg, may be better known as children’s products, which the brand has used to make this ad more effective. The ad follows a father who fondly touches his daughter’s nose while smiling at her. We follow them through her childhood and into adulthood, and in the final scene, she hands him her baby, who reaches out his hand and touches his grandfather’s nose.
This is followed by the title of the campaign, ‘What matters when you’re little matters forever.’ It leans on the bitter-sweet nature of the passage of time, with the circularity of family, and how you are never far from who you were as a child. It would make anyone misty-eyed as he/she/they treat loved ones to a Kinder egg.
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Maltesers
The makers of Maltesers have always been more tongue-in-cheek than sentimental in their advertising. Their new campaign centres on making light of awkward family moments. The advert sees a man introduce his grandmother and her new ‘companion’. The grandmother’s direct and no-nonsense correction causes an awkward silence, and as the companion eats a Maltesers, the family eases into the humorous side of the situation. The campaign message – ‘Look on the light side’ – becomes clear.
Although a different approach, the advert highlights the specific dynamic that only a family has and makes light of what can be awkward revelations. Its standout advertising is part of what earned the brand a spot on the top-five confectionery list, bumping M&M’s from its 2022 position.
Read More: What Popular Drink Brands Can Teach Us About Brand Loyalty
