- Hershey’s Cadbury brand is adding a level of friendly competition to its annual bunny try-outs, via a bracket-style elimination tournament.
- The Instagram contest will ask consumers to post photos of their pets, along with an explanation about why their pet should be the Cadbury Bunny this year. Winners will be selected by fan vote.
- For each round of the tournament, the brand will award increased prize amounts. First-round survivors, for instance, will get $100 while the final contest winner will receive a $5,500 prize.
Naming the Cadbury bunny – traditionally a non-rabbit animal who wants to deliver Cadbury creme-filled chocolate eggs on Easter – has nearly become a tradition of its own. With Easter falling at the end of March, the brand has decided to hop on a familiar theme that many will be familiar with in the run-up to the holiday.
“Easter is our Big Game moment for Cadbury and we know that our products bring a sweet sense of nostalgia and joy to consumers every year,” said Natalie Shuntich, senior associate marketing manager for Cadbury at The Hershey Company. “Given the timing of the 2024 Easter season, a bracket approach was a natural way for us to bring the competition onto social media to engage a whole new audience of Cadbury fans.”
The tournament will run between March 11 and March 25, with rounds ending on March 11 (The Round of Thirty-Cute), March 13 (Creme Sixteen), March 18 (A Litter of Eight), March 20 (Final Fur) and March 22. The brand is promoting the competition via Instagram and will feature stories on social media about the pets and their owners.
As a product that is available only once a year, the brand is looking to tap into consumers’ nostalgia of having the eggs at their own Easter celebrations and the continued love they may have for the product and their pets.
“Our goal over the past five years has always been to deliver feel-good stories to our fans – everyone loves their pets and the spirit of a good competition,” said Shuntich. “Building on the annual Cadbury Bunny Tryouts program that has been adored for decades, is a special tradition that allows us to tap into our consumer brand love and engage with them in a unique way.”
