McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Original Jaffa Jonuts Biscuits 4 Pack

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Asked why McVitie’s focused on outdoor advertising for its campaign, Babb says it saw OOH as the space that was going to be “most impactful” for a campaign it wanted to be “very visual”. It was a sensible strategy to take. According to Kantar’s study, the distinctive Jaffa Cake colours and the brand’s sense of humour played an important role in making the ad immediately recognisable as part of the Jaffa family. The latest variation of the 94-year-old British classic - a Jonut - is a doughnut-shaped ring of sponge with the staple orange-flavoured filling and a dark chocolate coating. That meant utilising the brand’s iconic blue and orange colouring, “dramatising” the product to drive appeal and intrigue, and being “playful” with the way it was brought to life through copy. Launching today in London, Jaffanatics who can find the giant Jonut sculpture – which has been created as an exact replica of the more-ish treat – can get their hands on some free Jaffa Jonuts to enjoy.

Produced in association with Marketing Week and the Advertising Association’s Trust Working Group, ‘The Works’ study asked 750 consumers what they thought of five of September’s top outdoor ads – 150 consumers per advert. When a product is this good, the communications almost write themselves as the campaign focuses on showing the Jaffa Jonuts in all their mouthwatering glory. The hybrid proposition of the doughnut works particularly well for the Jaffa Cakes brand, Babb adds, because it has been playing into the debate of whether it is a cake or a biscuit since 1991. A court case between Her Majesty’s Customers and Excise and McVitie’s ruled at the time that a Jaffa Cake was in fact a cake and could therefore avoid VAT. Far from settling the debate of whether a Jaffa Cake is really a cake or biscuit, the playful minds at McVitie's have gone one step further to create something even more unique. Speaking to Marketing Week, McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes marketing manager, Sarah Babb, says “keeping it really simple” was a key focus for the team when creating the ad.And indeed, Babb says the brand has seen an uplift in sales through September and October when the ad was live, building on an already “really successful” product launch. Fans of Jaffa Cakes or ‘Jaffanatics’ will be treated to the doughnutty biscuit when they spot the giant Jonut sculpture which will be hidden in three UK cities. McVitie’s are giving away thousands of free Jaffa Jonuts – the delicious new fusion between a Jaffa Cake and a doughnut – as part of the Giant Jaffa Jonut Hunt, which will take place in London, Birmingham and Cardiff over the coming weeks. For some time we haven’t had a significant breakthrough in innovation on the brand. So we really wanted to bring something new to market that was going to excite fanatics but also help us tap into new occasions in these spaces,” she says. While Jaffa Cakes are eaten broadly across the day, Jonuts are more targeted at evening occasions and lunchtime treat moments. These Jaffa creations are described as a magic Jaffa combo with a twist. A soft dougnuty shaped sponge, filled with tangy orange filling, and topped with the classic Jaffa chocolate!⁣"

In a press statement, the agency wrote: “Jaffa Cake Jonuts are the delicious love child of a Jaffa Cake and a donut, further proof of the Jaffa Cakes brand position of ‘Be what you want to be’ – after all, if a Jaffa Cake now wants to be a Jonut, who would want to stand in its way? Created by TBWA\London, with media planned and bought by Manning Gottlieb OMD, the tongue-in-cheek billboards ran across the UK. One execution featured a pointed innuendo: ‘When a Jaffa Cake and a donut love each other very much…’. Others imitated perfume ads, consumer technology ads and sportswear ads. According to Babb, the Jonut was conceived to tap into new eating occasions and to excite “Jaffanatics”. Consumers are looking for more new ways to enjoy the brands and products they love, she says, and Jaffa Cakes didn’t want to be left behind.Babb says: “One of the things that we found really important when we were doing the creative was that we got the right tone and the playful tonality coming through. The original and much-loved Jaffa Cake consists of a springy sponge base topped with orange flavoured filling similar to jelly and a layer of patterned dark chocolate. For its Jaffa Jonut avatar, its shape has changed from regular mounded biscuit to doughnut shaped ring. We’re excited to offer a new twist to our fans, as the fusion between Jaffa Cakes and doughnuts brings an exciting and original taste experience to those who love a treat.” Read More Related Articles Emma Stowers, Brand Director for McVitie's at pladis UK&I, said in the press release: "We love hearing Jaffanatics debate about our Jaffa Cakes, and the launch of our Jaffa Jonuts is sure to spark further conversation! We’re excited to offer a new twist to our fans, as the fusion between Jaffa Cakes and doughnuts brings an exciting and original taste experience to those who love a treat."

Meanwhile, B&M is now selling mint cookie and caramel stuffed KitKats - and they sound perfect for chocolate fans. Clues on the sculpture’s location will be available on Jaffa Cakes social media channels to give Jaffanatics the chance of getting their hands on their free Jonuts

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We didn’t want to overcomplicate things. The product itself is what people are most engaged with. So we wanted to keep it really simple, and really hero the product and the distinctive brand assets that we’re building with the brand,” she explains. For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. Another participant in the study said the ad shows the Jaffa Cake brand “has a sense of humour”, which was a key aim for the team behind the creative. We wanted to just hero and dramatise the product,” Babb says. “[OOH] allowed us to be very single minded and very visually driven, to drive the visual appeal and those brand assets.”