After nearly fifty years off the TV screen, Cadbury’s iconic dark chocolate brand Bournville is making a grand comeback with a clever and humorous new campaign from VCCP. The campaign introduces a fresh brand platform, “Made to be enjoyed, not endured”, positioning Bournville as the opposite of overly bitter, hard-to-enjoy dark chocolate and the elitism often associated with it.
At the heart of the campaign is a comic film that pokes fun at dark chocolate culture. The story follows two self-important chocolate enthusiasts competing in a game of one-upmanship, trading obscure cacao origins and complex tasting notes. Amid their exaggerated pretension, a lone Bournville fan quietly enjoys a piece of smooth, simple chocolate, showing that true enjoyment requires no fuss.
The film was brought to life by comedy director Harold Einstein, in collaboration with VCCP’s global content studio Girl&Bear. The script was written by VCCP creatives Alice Goodrich, Lara Baxter, and Simon Connor, with contributions from BAFTA-winning comedy writer Simon Blackwell [Veep, Peep Show, The Thick of It] to refine the jokes and enhance the satire. Both a 30-second and a longer 90-second version were produced, with improvisation on set adding extra humor.
The campaign spans multiple channels including TV, out-of-home (OOH), radio, YouTube, video-on-demand, and social media, featuring bold red-and-white Bournville branding and striking typographic headlines that emphasize the chocolate’s simple pleasure. OOH posters highlight oversized, glossy chunks of chocolate set against vibrant red backgrounds, blending heritage with a modern, vintage-inspired look.
Elise Burditt, Senior Marketing Director at Mondelez, said: “Bournville has been quietly loved for decades. With this campaign, we’re bringing it back into the national conversation in a way that reflects today’s times. It’s a confident and playful reappraisal of a classic chocolate.”
VCCP CCOs Chris Birch and Jonny Parker added: “Bournville watches quietly as other chocolates chase the latest fads. A legendary chocolate deserves work that leaves a lasting cultural impact, which this campaign achieves.”
The campaign is now live across the UK, with media planning and buying led by Publicis Media UK and supporting activity across organic social and eCRM managed by Elvis. With its humor, simplicity, and sharp creative execution, Bournville’s new campaign reminds chocolate lovers that dark chocolate is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.
Credits
Client: Bournville [Mondelez – Cadbury]
Senior Marketing Director: Elise Burditt
Marketing Manager: Michael Moore
Brand Manager: Maria Jackson
Brand Executive: Valerie Sophia Doeringer
Advertising Agency: VCCP
Chief Creative Directors: Chris Birch & Jonny Parker
Creative Director: Simon Connor
Creative Team: Alice Goodrich & Lara Baxter
Creative: Tom Lee
Group Managing Director: David Boscawen
Managing Partner: Matt Smith
Senior Account Director: Bella Johnston & Rosie Troen
Account Executive: Ella Wright
Group Planning Director: Gethin James
Senior Planner: Charlotte O’brien
Agency Production: Girl&Bear
Agency TV Producer: David Vass
Agency TV Production Assistant: Oona Webster Jones
Senior Integrated Creative Producer: Georgina Ehmcke
Production Company: Outsider
Director: Harold Einstein
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Richard Packer
Producer: Joseph Taussig
US Producer: Michael Kanter
DoP: Glynn Speeckaert
Production Designer: Patrick Lumb
Stylist: Alex Day
Editing: Arcade
Editor: Dave Anderson
Managing Partner & Executive Producer: Sila Soyer
Senior Producer: Ellen Lavery
Assistant Editor: Drew Lang
Colour: Company3
Colourist: Tim Masick
Colour Producer: Alexandra P. Garcia Ortiz
Associate Colour Producer: Morgan Coyle-Howard
Post Production: Selected Works
Executive Producer: Alex Fitzgerald
Producer: Angie Broomfield
VFX Lead: Ben Turner
2D: Olivia Wang & Rich Roberts
Audio Post Production: Factory Studios
Sound Design & Mix: Jack Hallett
Audio Producer: Olivia Endersby
Content Creation Studio: Girl&Bear
Design Director: Jonathan Harper
Assistant Artlab Manager: Nick Normann
Resource Manager: Yasmine Moridi
Social Editor: Thomas James
Social Sound Engineer: Emily Vizard
Post Producer: Gerda Aleksandraviciute
Radio Audio Post-Production Company: Jungle
Radio Sound Engineer: Stuart Allen-Hynd & Sean Mahoney
Media Buying Agency: Publicis Media UK
Social Agency: Elvis
