Purdys Chocolatier has prepped a new campaign for the upcoming Easter holiday, that looks to take the pressure off of gift-giving for parents.

While parents may feel more pressure to buy new gadgets and toys for children, Purdys’ latest campaign highlights the joy of chocolate itself as a gift. It features a campaign video where children are given the choice between Easter gift options like stuffed animals or first-class plane tickets, up against Purdys Easter chocolates. The kids choose chocolate against nearly every other option.

Purdys Chocolatier director of marketing Julia Cho says that while it’s common to see elaborate gifts and over-the-top celebrations on social media, the brand wanted to remind people that chocolate can be the most exciting thing from a kid’s perspective.

“This year, instead of focusing on one Easter chocolate, we wanted to remind Canadians of the simple joy of enjoying Purdys for Easter,” Cho says. 

“It’s an economically challenging time and it doesn’t take a lot to have a wonderful Easter with your loved ones. We also loved the idea of recording the reactions of real kids to chocolate. They’re honest, unpredictable, and silly, which comes through in the campaign video.”

Cho adds that Easter is a key season for Purdys’ business, second only to Christmas. Soon after the winter holidays wrap up, the brand’s retail, ecommerce, fundraising and Group Savings teams begin preparing for Easter.

Research conducted by the brand showed it that its customers are likely to be married and to have children, and that their chocolates are primarily perceived as a gift to be shared with loved ones.

“We call them our Memory Makers, and we’re always thinking of them as we develop anything at Purdys Chocolatier whether it’s a new campaign video or a new collection of chocolate gifts,” Cho says.

The new campaign includes the minute-long spot, as well as 15-second cutdowns and stills from the shoot, amplified across online platforms like YouTube, Meta and TikTok.

The campaign, which launched earlier this month, was developed with Rethink.