This article appears in the March/April 2019 issue of strategy.

Many of this year’s AToMiC winners, which were revealed at a gala in Toronto last night, were recognized for their efforts to create connections with consumers through content. There were some brands, however, that put their product on a pedestal, creatively refashioning chocolate bars to build buzz out-of-store and, ultimately, drive purchases in-store.

Getting high on chocolate innovation

The consumer war against sugar is on, and one way for confectionary brands to battle it out is to get creative with their product.

Oh Henry! broke through by concocting entirely-new chocolate that appeals to Canadians with the munchies, while Snickers repackaged already-existing bars with a (creepy) personal touch.

Looking to reach a younger generation, both brands fought for the title of Canada’s “hunger bar” through millennial pastimes, like smoking cannabis or watching basketball.

There was no bar on shelves that specifically addressed cannabis-induced hunger. So, naturally, Oh Henry! created a chocolate formulated to feed the intense hunger that typically hits five minutes after 4:20. It called the bar, Oh Henry! 4:25.

Packaging was changed from the brand’s trademark yellow to a new green with the help of Anomaly. Cannabis slang was also added to the packaging and to launch the bar ahead of its national rollout, the brand gave out samples at a branded dispensary in Toronto’s Kensington Market. One million bars sold out across Canada before the campaign even came to a close.

Making haters eat their words (almost literally)

As for Snickers, it took to Twitter to get certain “Haters” to become lovers of its bar.

Despite the Toronto Raptors achieving its best season ever, many fans began to express doubt as the team entered the playoffs. As a partner of the Raptors, Snickers decided to connect this love/hate behaviour to its long-term “You’re not you when you’re hungry” platform.

Twitter had become the epicenter of basketball commentary, and so the idea was to call out Raptors “haters” on the social platform and make them eat their words.

The brand worked with BBDO and sent people real Snickers bars with their tweets printed on the packaging. It also posted a picture of the bar and tagged the fan on Twitter, accompanied by a message telling them “You’re a hater when you’re hungry.”

The Wins: The Hershey Company’s “Oh Henry! 4:25” by Anomaly
Gold Idea; Gold Best Experiential Engagement

The Wins: Mars Wrigley Confectionary’s “Snickers Hater Bar” by BBDO Toronto
Silver Engagement; Silver Niche Targeting

For the full list of winners, visit the AToMiC website, and be sure to check StrategyDaily for more deep dives into this year’s award-winning work.