Cadbury is bringing your football group chat back to life.
The confectionery brand’s new "Win For Your Squad" campaign moves away from the usual one-person prize model to focus on shared experiences with friends and family.
Created by VCCP, the campaign gives consumers the chance to win hangouts with football stars Declan Rice, Lauren James, and Virgil van Dijk.
View this post on Instagram
This opportunity of a lifetime will go alongside match tickets and lifestyle rewards to hype up football communities.
QR codes are placed directly onto Cadbury packaging for consumers to scan and enter through a dedicated website.
Then, they can submit the barcode and batch details before selecting which football star they would want to meet alongside their own squad.
The campaign's idea builds on Cadbury’s long-running brand positioning around generosity, and how that generosity can live within football friendships and social rituals.
"'Win For Your Squad' brings this to life by proving that a victory feels infinitely better when shared with your community," Elise Burditt, senior director at Mondelez, said.
"By trading solo prizes for squad experiences, we’re celebrating the connections that bring us together and making the thrill of the win a little sweeter for everyone."
Overall, the effort hits two birds with one stone, leveraging fan-favorite stars to win attention and launching a hangout sweepstakes to drive sales.
A Hangout With Your Favorite Football Stars
Directed by Zak Razvi through Girl&Bear Studios, the three hero spots see the footballers in their downtime, enjoying the company of their friends.
In one, Van Dijk is seen at a bowling outing, inviting viewers to "win a hangout" with him.
The other spots play out similarly, with Rice in a late-night gaming session with friends, and James helping someone browse records at a music shop.
It's an effort to picture the athletes and fold them naturally into everyday situations where groups celebrate together.
The rollout moves across social media platform placements, AV, OOH, YouTube, radio, retail, CRM, and targeted social campaigns throughout the UK and ROI until July 19.
Shared Experiences Drive Recall
Cadbury's brand marketing strategy relies on shared rewards that create longer-lasting memories, and for good reason.
Group experiences that happen in real life naturally generate more conversation, photos, reposts, and repeat mentions.
In fact, research from Eventbrite shows that consumers seek ways to bring connections into the physical world, with 95% interested in exploring their online interests through in-person events.
This creates room for brands to hold campaigns that promote products and offer new experiences for fan communities.
View this post on Instagram
With Cadbury, generosity already sits close to its brand identity, making football squad experiences a logical extension:
- Group prizes increase organic conversation. Shared experiences naturally create more user-generated content between friends.
- Familiar social settings make celebrity campaigns feel more accessible. Put talent inside recognisable situations that audiences already enjoy.
- QR-led participation can increase the lifespan of a campaign. Packaging becomes an entry point rather than just a product wrapper.
Ultimately, "Win for Your Squad" works because the product, mechanic, and emotional payoff all point toward the same thing: enjoying the win together.
Our Take: Why Do Shared Rewards Feel Bigger?
Most fans rarely remember the exact promotion mechanics, but remember who they were with when something fun happened.
That’s why these spots work better than the usual athlete endorsement formula.
Rice gaming with friends or Van Dijk bowling feels closer to how football fans act in everyday scenarios, and so this angle humanizes the stars and helps consumers feel seen.
There’s also something smart about making the prize itself social.
One winner disappears fast, but a whole group posting about the experience keeps the campaign moving longer.
Chocolate already carries associations with sharing, gifting, and casual hangouts.
Cadbury just had to attach football to something people were already doing on weekends.
Recently, Pizza Hut restored its retro designs in select restaurants to bring back the glory of old-school family dining.
Want to spark joy among your audience? Check out the top experiential marketing agencies that design campaigns to do just this.
