Here's a well-crafted marketing operation. To launch a new product, British confectionery brand Cadbury is releasing a limited edition of its Dairy Milk bars for the summer, with packaging that changes color when refrigerated. The official aim of this operation is to revive the - deliberately futile - fridge chocolate debate in the UK.
Five chocolate bars, including a brand-new reference, feature this packaging printed with thermochromic ink. After about 30 minutes in the fridge, it reveals an icy blue visual representing a parasol, an iced coffee, a buoy, a deckchair or a kite.
According to Cadbury, this activation echoes consumer practices: 53âeuros¯% of Britons say they already store their chocolate cold. The idea is to transform this habit into a product experience directly observable on the packaging.
Thermochromics has also been used in other consumer goods sectors, notably in beverages by Coca-Cola Turkey or by brazilian beer brand Conti Bier undressing a pin-up girl and most recently in skincare products with the plastic bottle of Dove soap .
The Cadbury operation is strictly limited to the summer period, and only concerns special Dairy Milk editions. There are no plans to roll out the operation on classic references.
With this campaign, Cadbury illustrates how an original printing technology can reinforce a marketing message without changing the nature of the product. The occasional use of thermochromy creates a visual point of differentiation on the shelf, while renewing the shopping experience.
