Oral Fixation

One of our favorite challenger stories of all times comes from Chupa Chups – and how they turned their business around by thinking of themselves as players in the ‘oral fixation’ business; not the candy business. They started sampling at nightclubs, used provocative (adult) advertising and started tie-ins with cocktail-makers at stylish bars. It was hugely successful; and hugely entertaining. I just stumbled across the next wave of this initiative - straight from Russia.

Chupa Chups have leant into the adult thing even more…. these pieces look more like something you’d find in Ann Summers than anywhere else.  The line is actually called Chupa Chups 18+ and moves Chupa Chups very far away from the traditional world of candy.  It’s a great piece of thought leadership and a brilliant way to force consumers to reappraise what it is you stand for.  So perhaps we can take inspiration from the Chupa Chups and redefine the category that we normally play in. What might we do differently then?