17426: Easter Campaign Created By Bad Eggs…?

 

This Climate Basecamp campaign from M+C Saatchi Group UK is explained as follows:

 

Climate Basecamp, the campaigning organisation co-founded by Professor Gail Whiteman, Rainn Wilson, Steve Walls and Chuck Tatham, has launched ‘The Taste of Climate Change’, a new Easter campaign created with M+C Saatchi Group UK that uses a chocolate egg to bring the impact of climate change closer to home.

 

Timed to coincide with Easter, the campaign reimagines one of the season’s most familiar products to highlight how climate change is already affecting everyday foods people love, focusing on chocolate as a clear and accessible example. It forms part of Climate Basecamp’s broader ‘Save the Flavors’ narrative, which was piloted in the US by Climate Basecamp in 2023, highlighting how the foods and tastes people enjoy today are at risk as climate conditions continue to change.

 

The campaign is designed to raise awareness among the “moveable middle” — people who are aware of climate change but not actively engaged with it — using a tone that is accessible and engaging rather than alarmist. It aims to spark curiosity and conversation, encouraging audiences to reconsider the everyday impact of climate change and prompting light-touch actions such as sharing content and discussing the issue.

 

The push is inspired by the insight that many people have noticed changes in chocolate, from rising prices to shifts in size and taste, but few connect this to the impact of climate change on cocoa production.

 

To bring this to life, the campaign centres on a deliberately unpleasant chocolate Easter egg designed to represent the factors damaging cocoa production and the climate more widely. The egg is fully edible but intentionally tastes of petrol, acting as a representation of what’s ruining chocolate: climate change.

 

The idea uses humour and contrast to deliver its message, subverting expectations by turning something typically associated with enjoyment into an uncomfortable experience. Influencers and media are invited to taste the chocolate on camera, showing real-time reactions and discovering for themselves how climate change is driving chocolate’s current decline.

 

This approach taps into a familiar social content format, creating a highly visual, reaction-led campaign designed to work across social platforms and broadcast PR. The experience culminates in a simple message: if we don’t collectively act on climate change, we’re likely to continue to see chocolate get more expensive, smaller and less tasty, or even start to disappear completely.

 

The campaign is running in the UK across influencer activity and earned media, with content captured and shared over the Easter period.

 

Remember when competent creatives recognized if a big idea couldn’t be presented in a sentence or two, it probably wasn’t a big idea?

 

The Climate Crunch concept leaves a bad taste in everybody’s mouth.

 

15878: Slow Thinking From M&C Saatchi…

 

Why would M&C Saatchi Performance agree to be featured in an ad boasting its ability to deliver campaigns in 2 days when the slower agencies delivering campaigns in 2 weeks include M&C Saatchi?

15515: Projecting The Voice Of Exclusivity…

 

This campaign hyping the Black British Voices Project—produced by M&C Saatchi in London—begs the question, “Can We Get Some Black Representation At Our Ad Agency?”

 

15232: Pandemic Pastry Promotion.

M&C Saatchi in Israel presents the annual Hanukkah campaign for Roladin Café and Bakery, highlighting the COVID-19 pandemic—and ignoring Black Lives Matter with no chocolate pastry talent…?

14856: Roladin Rolls With Diversity For Hannukah.

M&C Saatchi in Israel hypes Roladin Café & Bakery again for Hanukkah with a divertisement campaign. The agency, however, does not reflect such pastry progressiveness and sweet variety with its staff.

14691: Demonstrating For Divertisements To Fake Diversity.

Advertising Age published a paltry perspective from M&C Saatchi LA Executive Creative Director Maria Smith, who appeared to be making a case for producing divertisements. Of course, Smith’s place of employment features a leadership team that looks like the average White advertising agency. Smith opined, “Advertisers who practice diversity have the power to change the world.” Yeah, but not if advertisers continue to partner with White advertising agencies.

Advertisers who practice diversity have the power to change the world

A whole generation of kids who don’t fit into the traditional mold deserve to see themselves acknowledged as an important part of brands’ stories

By Maria Smith

Historically, people of color haven’t received much advertising screen time. As a Filipino American mom to biracial children, I want to change that reality. My kids, and a whole generation of kids who don’t fit into the “traditional” mold, deserve to see themselves represented, their existence acknowledged as an important part of brands’ stories.

Only a generation or two ago, my views would have held outlier status. Now, they are firmly in tune with society’s realization that diversity simply makes sense—not just for business, but for the bottom line. Even investors have seized upon this previously unrealized opportunity, putting money into more than a dozen funds focused on supporting businesses that live by the inclusion mantra.

These investors are tapping into the steady stream of dollars being spent by consumers who demand more of businesses than just a transactional relationship. It would serve the ad industry well to keep this more tuned-in consumer top of mind and follow suit.

A shifting advertising landscape

Until very recently, boutique and specialist agencies whose outreach focused on people of color occupied a niche space. That’s no longer the case. Consider Hispanic agency LatinWorks, which recently changed its name to Third Ear. The decision grew from a desire to appeal to more English-language clients with Hispanic backgrounds. Third Ear understands its agency is not separate from the mainstream—it’s fundamental to what the world needs today and tomorrow. In just 40 years, the Hispanic population is expected to make up 28% of the total U.S. population. Third Ear is simply anticipating this need.

More and more household brands are successfully incorporating diversity into their ads. Gatorade’s Sisters in Sweat piece, for example, features Serena Williams speaking to her baby daughter. The ad does a beautiful job of being inclusive without checking off boxes. Rather than coming off as a way to lump together people of color, Sisters in Sweat feels authentic, empowering and emotional.

In clear contrast, though, BuzzFeed’s recent “27 Questions Black People Have for Black People” nailed the pandering button on the head. BuzzFeed had to backpedal on Twitter after pushing out stereotype-laden content that might have cost it the trust of some users. What BuzzFeed discovered is that people of color may appreciate humor but don’t appreciate being lumped together as a single group.

These are the kinds of stumbles brands and agencies can make when they create content without careful and thoughtful upfront consideration. Before my team begins any project, we ask, “Who isn’t in the room who should be?” It’s a question that keeps us honest and guides our next move. When there is an important point of view that we need to consider, we ensure that someone with that pointz of view is part of the process. Otherwise, our work might come across as flat—or worse, as singling out a specific audience.

Making diversity a priority

This isn’t rocket science, it’s logic. How can you make sure the right people are in the planning room if they aren’t already in the building? Advertising teams must put forth more effort to bring more people of color into the fold, bucking the legacy status quo that says all ad industry execs must look like Mad Men’s Don Draper.

If people of color believe this stereotype, then they’ll likely look for alternative career paths. However, if they begin to notice that people who come from similar backgrounds and ethnicities are not just contributing to agencies but leading them, they might feel encouraged to do the same. And the benefit will be stronger, more innovative businesses, according to a Financial Management study on the outcomes of workforce diversity.

Advertisers are uniquely positioned to shape the diversity conversation. We thrust ideas, images, and videos into the world, content seen by mass viewership on unprecedented levels thanks to digitization and social sharing. Let’s use our power to generate work that tells people of color what they deserve to hear: “I see and value your contributions. You belong.”

14628: Smartphone Campaign Is Not Smart. M&C Saatchi Is Definitely Not Smart.

The morons at M&C Saatchi in Spain probably think this campaign for the HUAWEI P30 Pro smartphone is provocative and breakthrough, but it looks like perverts are using their mobile devices to secretly photograph breastfeeding moms.

14426: You People Who Eat At Nando’s Should Boycott.

M&C Saatchi Abel is responsible for this Nando’s campaign featuring a video focused on the phrase, “You People.”

You people in South Africa are pathetic.

14400: Celebrating The Diversity Of Hanukkah…?

M&C Saatchi in Israel and Roladin Bakery & Patisserie make Hanukkah a multicultural experience with multi-colored desserts.

13869: Boring Bigots.

Campaign published a “private view” from M&C Saatchi Group Chief Creative Officer Justin Tindall that turned into a public glimpse of latent racism. “I’m bored,” declared Tindall, spewing a list of rants including, “Bored of diversity being prioritised over talent.” It’s sad that Tindall sought to express weariness over a perceived lack of innovation in adland, yet communicated his cultural cluelessness with the most clichéd crack conceivable. Even sadder is the contrived counterpoint from Cheil London Executive Creative Director Caitlyn Ryan, who exploited the opportunity to defend diverted diversity and promote her persecuted White sisters. Tindall backpedaled with a dubious apology, submitting his pathetic résumé of diverting, delegating and denying diversity. Viewing the exclusive leadership at M&C Saatchi and Cheil London underscores the lying, hypocritical bullshit being excreted by Tindall and Ryan. The silly spectacle is playing like a poor man’s version of the recent Kevin Roberts-Cindy Gallop brouhaha. This is getting boring indeed.

13108: Day-Oh No!

M&C Saatchi Berlin created this Oxfam commercial showing Black people being strangled by bananas. Is there a companion spot with Blacks being beaten with fried chicken drumsticks?

13005: Print Your Exclusivity.

Not too keen on this “Print Your Legacy” campaign for Epson. The company is apparently “Honored to Have the Trust of the World’s Most Revered Artists.” Okay, but why does it look like “the World’s Most Revered Artists” are exclusively White people? Maybe because White advertising agency M&C Saatchi LA is behind the work? Sure, Epson sneaked in some diversity by showing non-Whites as the subjects of photographs. But the printer maker seems to be lacking the ability to operate in full color.

12597: Head Of White Talent.

Campaign reported M&C Saatchi hired a White woman to serve in the new role of head of talent. Claire Croft’s responsibilities will include recruiting and retaining more White men—while promoting diversity by hiring more White women.

M&C Saatchi hires head of talent

By Maisie McCabe

M&C Saatchi has appointed Claire Croft, the coach and leadership trainer and planning partner at Proximity London, to the new role of head of talent.

Croft will be responsible for developing the careers of staff working at the agency in a bid to make sure it attracts and retains the best people.

She will report to Camilla Kemp, the chief operating officer at M&C Saatchi. Kemp was promoted to chief operating officer last month.

After working in agencies including Craik Jones and Archibald Ingall Stretton, Croft joined Proximity in 2009. After training as an executive coach Croft took on the additional role of coach and leadership trainer in July 2013.

Tom Bazeley, the chief executive at M&C Saatchi, said: “While people may well make the world go round, they also make agencies into brilliant places to work.

“In this sense, hiring Claire will help grow our people and our agency.”