Digital & Social · India · 2021
Cadbury: Not Just a Cadbury Ad
During the pandemic, Cadbury used machine learning to let Shah Rukh Khan promote small local stores by name.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readOgilvy Mumbai and WavemakerCampaigns · Influencer · Conversation & AI
- Brand
- Cadbury
- Market
- India
- Year
- 2021
- Category
- Digital & Social
- Agency or team
- Ogilvy Mumbai and Wavemaker
- Channels
- Personalised video, social, hyperlocal targeting
The context
Diwali 2021 followed lockdowns that had hurt neighbourhood shops, which are vital to Cadbury’s distribution.
Neighbourhood shops were struggling after lockdowns.
The move
Ogilvy Mumbai and Wavemaker recreated SRK’s face and voice with machine learning, with his permission, so shop owners could generate free ads in which he named their store, targeted to people nearby.
How it was executed
- Recreated Shah Rukh Khan’s face and voice with machine learning, with his permission.
- Let store owners generate free ads naming their shop.
- Targeted those ads to people nearby.
During the pandemic, Cadbury used machine learning to let Shah Rukh Khan promote small local stores by name.
What happened Reported facts
The campaign reported more than 130,000 personalised ads for local businesses and won major awards, including at Cannes Lions.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
It used a big brand’s scale to help its smallest partners, with consent and clear rules.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01Use your scale to help the people who sell your product.
- 02Personalisation at scale works when it serves someone else.
- 03New technology needs consent and clear rules.
Indian brands with large retail networks can use personalised marketing to support partners, with transparent use of AI.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Mondelez India; Ogilvy Mumbai. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Cadbury.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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