Leading oat drink company Oatly is teaming up with U.K. rap legend Giggs to launch "Custard by Giggs," marking the occasion with limited edition dairy-free cake and custard kits.
Six months in the making, the unexpected collaboration was born out of a message thread between the rapper and the brand, culminating in an effort that spans four short films by PRETTYBIRD director Kelvin Jones.
Giggs, who is lactose intolerant, reportedly shared his frustrations after having difficulty finding his favorite Oatly Vanilla Custard in stores.
This led to a pitch for an awareness program for lactose intolerance, an issue affecting 5 million Brits, and the lack of shelf space given to dairy-free food alternatives.
As part of the campaign, Oatly gave kits away to fans earlier this week at Ayres Bakery, near the rapper's hometown of Peckham.
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In a statement, Jones explained how they wanted to maximize the impact of the campaign and make it exclusive, especially since Giggs rarely lends his face to a brand:
"Giggs has a big personality, so by combining this with the community feeling of bakeshops and the taste of Oatly Custard — we crafted films that build mouthwatering anticipation whilst calling for dairy-free foods like Oatly Custard to be much more widely available, given the prevalence of lactose intolerance in our community."
The new spots go all-in on building a world around the campaign, leveraging creativity to develop characters and scenarios full of personality and charming humor.
This underscores the value brand storytelling can have in creating a quality campaign that resonates with the target audience.
Cake & Custard
The first spot, titled "The Queue," introduces the audience to Giggs' new venture.
As a line forms outside a shop that will open soon, the rapper walks past a long line of people toward the diner's front door.
He is stopped by a young man, who tells him he can't just cut in line. The rapper looks up at the store sign, which simply reads "Giggs'," leading the young man to realize who exactly he's talking to.
The spot ends as Giggs enters the shop and flips the sign, which now reads "Custard by Giggs."
In "Yardmen," a trio of friends sit around a table in front of Giggs' shop to have a friendly argument about cake and custard.
With a thick Jamaican patois, the two of them go back and forth over whether cake is best with or without custard over a game of dominos.
One of them asserts that he's the utmost authority on the matter by showing off a shiny golden grill that reads "CAKE & CUSTARD."
The two then ask the opinion of Rodney, their third friend who's currently buried in a newspaper. Rodney, who agrees with anything, adds fuel to both their fires and doesn't resolve the argument at all.
Eventually, Giggs passes by and gets sucked into the argument. Not wanting to pick sides, he also gives a humorous non-answer that agrees with everyone and no one.
"The Doorbell" begins with a customer being served cake. Disappointed, he protests at the lack of custard. Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and he looks to see that a big crate has mysteriously appeared.
He calls for Auntie, the shopkeeper, who arrives with a crowbar to pry it open. It's revealed to be filled with boxes of Oatly Vanilla Custard, which saves the day.
Finally, "Cake & Custard Tasting" stars Giggs as he undergoes the momentous task of sampling a range of cakes while somebody from his staff stands close behind to take notes.
The many sounds of his busy diner begin to stress him out as he hears the loud ticking of the clock, the clinking of silverware, and the noise from the kitchen.
Shushing everyone, he picks up a box of Oatly Vanilla Custard and drizzles it over the cake in complete silence before being rudely interrupted twice by his assistant's loud ringtone, closing the ad in a hilarious way.
Oatly is known for its innovative campaigns and humorous approach to marketing. Back in July, the brand fought against Big Dairy by putting up a dairy-free ice cream truck at Capitol Hill.
Later that month, the brand worked with Wieden+Kennedy to bring a giant pineapple to the streets of London.
