Whittaker’s new brand campaign campaign goes back in time – aiming to honour the past and position for the future
After nearly a decade of working with brand ambassador, Nigella Lawson, the Whittaker brand was due a refresh. Siblings Matt and Holly Whittaker, Whittaker’s co-Chief Operating Officers and great-grandchildren of J.H. Whittaker say this is a significant milestone for Whittaker’s.
“We loved working with Nigella for all those years and she has been instrumental in building our brand based on our unrelenting commitment to quality”, says Holly Whittaker, co-Chief Operating Officer. “We’re pleased that she remains a passionate Whittaker’s Chocolate Lover, but we’re also very excited about our new chapter”.
Whittaker’s new brand campaign features the famous chocolate-loving Kiwi actor and Karl Urban as J.H. Whittaker and a chocolate time machine made by Human Dynamo. The time-traveller arrives in a Victorian-inspired chocolate time machine ready to brighten the lives of people he meets. Shot at recognisable Wellington locations are intended to be light-hearted, irreverent and Kiwi.
Whittaker’s continues to manufacture its popular chocolate products, from beans-to-bar at its one Porirua factory, meeting growing demand for its products both in New Zealand and internationally. The new campaign is designed to reinforce the brand’s confidence in its past and its future.
“I absolutely love Whittaker’s. It is one hundred percent my favourite chocolate in the world and I’m proud to be associated with such an awesome, iconic Kiwi brand, says Karl Urban, who plays Whittaker’s founder. “When I’m working overseas for extended periods, Whittaker’s chocolate is the one thing I have sent over – a little home comfort that’s an essential part of my day”.
The wider team of locals involved in working with the Whittaker’s team to bring the campaign to life included Director, Peter Burger and Waitemata Film Company, along with Whittaker’s agencies of record, MBM for creative and marketing and AKQA for digital.
The chocolate time machine was made by Human Dynamo, a creative company that supplies design, model-making and technical fabrication from its studio and workshops in Miramar, Wellington. Matt Whittaker says the Whittaker’s team was fortunate to have had access to world class talent and creatives right here to create the new campaign.“We really value the contribution that everyone involved has made to this, and we can’t wait to hear what Whittaker’s Chocolate Lovers think of it,” he says.
The new campaign is live across TV, online video, cinema, digital, social and Out of Home from 12 June, and will also support the launch of exciting new products to be launched soon.
