OBJECTIVES
When a sweltering South Aussie public wants a summer treat, they typically reach for slushies, ice cream and soft drinks. This was particularly true of young people.
In 2016/17 the SA owned baked goods brand, Balfours Bakery, wanted its frog cakes, doughnuts and pies to become the go-to snacks of summer for this notoriously hard to reach demographic.
INSIGHT
Understanding that a traditional sales channel couldn’t drive engagement, we used branded content to capture and retain attention. Tapping into the teen affinity for classic Australian television soapies, we created our own web series, “Balfours Bay”.
SOLUTION
Each “Balfours Bay” episode from trailer to the dramatic episode 7 season finale was released weekly on Facebook and YouTube, supported by radio, outdoor and activation.
The series followed a cast of humans and baked goods as they navigated love, life and the pursuit of delicious pastries. Adopting an absurd, farcical tone, the narrative reflected a style popular with young people on YouTube.
RESULTS
The ground-breaking oddball web series had over 500,000 views, the jingle was on high rotation on radio and the Beach Hut (food truck) won over crowds at beaches, pools and other summer hotspots.
Engagement with the tough to reach teen audience went through the roof and sales of key products doubled year over year. In 2016/17 Balfours baked goods truly were the “Stars of Summer”.
