Ovaltine Creative Evolution Summary

1992-1993

Bring back former users into the Ovaltine franchise (“When’s the last time you tried Ovaltine?”)

1994

Bring back former users and convince Nestle Quik Moms to switch to Ovaltine (“Rich Chocolate Ovaltine vs. Nestle Quik” surprise taste test)

1995

Bring back former users, convince Nestle Quik Moms to switch and convince Swiss Miss and Carnation users to switch to Ovaltine (“Hot Cocoa Drinkers are trying Ovaltine Hot”)

1996

Same as 1995, plus convince Nestle Quik and Hershey’s syrup consumers/ moms to switch (“I can’t get my kids to eat right” and “I was a big Nestle Quik fan till last year”)

1997

Same as 1996, plus convince Nestle Quik and Hershey’s Syrup Moms to switch by convincing them that Ovaltine is “Not Just Ordinary Chocolate Milk”. End commercials with kids asking in unison for “More Ovaltine, please!”

1998

Take the successful strategy to the next level by making it even more competitive versus Nestle Quik and Hershey’s Syrup (‘Compare the labels, Ovaltine beats Quik/Hershey’s Syrup hands down,’ along with visual nutritional chart.) Expand the category by increasing milk usage (Kids Milk vs. Quik) and targeting women (Calcium and Iron)

1999

Continue to make the advertising message more compelling by giving kids an even greater role in Ovaltine commercials, whereby they help in the conversion of their dad from Nestle Quik to Ovaltine.

2000

Make the advertising message even more compelling by introducing the “Ovaltine Man” and the “Ovaltine Cart”: where they go, fun and great taste follows, and by increasing the role of kids in the commercials.

2001

Expand the “Ovaltine Man”strategy to remind the adult consumer that Ovaltine's is not just for kids. No matter how old you are there's a nutritional reason for you to drink Ovaltine

2002-2003

Complements the “Ovaltine Man” Creative with a new strategy that did not focus on Ovaltine’s nutritional story or its competitive advantages versus brands such as Nesquik and Hershey’s, but rather kids having fun and Ovaltine tasting great. This campaign appealed to children in both a fun and comical way.

2004 – 2005

The Ovaltine campaign with a move away from the Ovaltine Man as a product icon. In 2002 and 2003, Ovaltine began to do this with creative such as Neighborhood Milk Shake and Sledding Hot Winter. The Ovaltine campaigns will still appeal to a wide variety of audiences, including a) kids, b) seniors, c) boomers, d) young adults, e) teens, d) and moms utilizing both nutritional “hooks” (i.e., calcium, iron, energy, etc.) and the message that Ovaltine is fun to drink.

2006

Ovaltine continued to run the “Try it for the nutrition, keep buying it for the taste” strategy which had been developed during the second half of 2004 based on research with Rich Chocolate Ovaltine BRC Users (Business Reply Cards). In addition, HNI continued to run some of the more executionally intrusive creative developed in 2004, including “Rich Classroom,” (which plays off the of the “rich” in Rich Chocolate), “Lunchroom” (which depicts a “bidding war” for Ovaltine in the school lunchroom) and “Answering Machine Hot,” (which utilizes a precocious child raving about Ovaltine hot). HNI also ran “New Adult Moms” which hammers home the message that Ovaltine is not just for kids.

Return to 10 "Musts"