McVitie's unites Brits through biscuit campaign

The pladis-owned brand brings several of its iconic products together under the line There's only one that brings us all together.

McVitie's has launched a multi-million-pound campaign positioning its biscuits as a catalyst for everyday moments of connection across Britain. The pladis-owned brand brings several of its iconic products together under the line There's only one that brings us all together.

Developed with adam&eve\TBWA, the campaign builds on the success of the 2023 There's Only One Masterbrand campaign featuring Trevor McDonald. That work positioned McVitie's as Britain's original and irreplaceable biscuit, with purchase intent increasing by 27 percent and retail sales value growing by 15.8 percent in 2023.

McVitie's builds emotional brand platform

The campaign shifts the brand towards an emotional platform focused on connection. It runs across TV, social, out-of-home and in-store channels, highlighting shared moments and everyday rituals in which McVitie's products feature.

A 60-second hero film leads the campaign, using social insights about how, where and when consumers enjoy McVitie's products. Directed by Greg Hackett through Park Pictures, the film uses a punk version of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's Together In Electric Dreams as its soundtrack.

Biscuits feature across everyday British moments

The film opens with a parent throwing a packet of biscuits to a child preparing to travel. It then moves through a series of scenes, including a pregnant woman picking up Ginger Nuts during a yoga class, a couple sharing Rich Tea biscuits while chatting, and a grandmother offering her teenage granddaughter a Club bar while she donates blood.

Other scenes feature students watching television together, a marathon runner and a child competing in a soapbox race. The film closes with the line There's only one that brings us together.

Campaign spans TV, cinema and out-of-home

Launching on 14 September, the film will run across TV, online video, social and cinema. Omnicom Media UK agency MG OMD is responsible for media strategy, planning and buying, with placements including Trigger Point, Gogglebox and the Carabao Cup.

The campaign also spans nationwide out-of-home activity across sites including Waterloo Motion, Cromination and Outernet. Contextual creative will adapt to different consumption occasions throughout the day across selected digital placements.

Packaging and social extend campaign message

The creative extends to limited-edition Digestives, Chocolate Digestives and Hobnobs packs, which carry the names Together, Giggling and Buzzing. The campaign runs until 1 November and will also use social content to encourage conversations around the everyday moments featured in the work.

Benazir Barlet-Batada, Marketing Director, McVitie's: "When you stop and look, McVitie's shows up in so many of the moments that bring people together. It's the packet opened during a family catch-up, the biscuit shared over a cup of tea, or the familiar favourite that's always there during life's big and small occasions. At its heart, McVitie's is a modern British icon that helps facilitate meaningful connections, bringing people together through everyday rituals and shared experiences.

"That's what inspired this campaign. We wanted to capture a modern snapshot of Britain and celebrate the everyday connections, traditions and shared experiences that unite us. We're proud of the role McVitie's has played in British life for generations, and this campaign reflects our ambition to keep the brand relevant by celebrating the people, communities and moments that continue to bring us together."

adam&eve\TBWA puts brand at centre

Paul Jordan, Creative Partner, adam&eve\TBWA: "McVitie's isn't one of those brands trying to insert itself into culture - it's already there. Their biscuits are subtly woven throughout everyday British life. Our job was simply to remind people of that role.

"Working with director Greg Hackett, we painted a modern portrait of British life with

McVitie's at its centre as a kind of social glue. We applied the same thinking to the music: taking something Britain already loves, represented in a new light. A punk version of 'Together in Electric Dreams' became the perfect soundtrack - unexpected, but unmistakably British."

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www.adamandevetbwa.com

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