Hard candy is beloved by older generations, but for those who aren’t yet in their golden years, it’s rarely on their radar. With sales lagging, Werther’s Original needed to make hard candy relevant to the next generation of candy lovers and show how it can fit into today’s busy lifestyles.
Using primary research, Werther’s Original unpacked what consumers love about Werther's hard candy— its long-lasting flavor is great on the go. Buyers said they tuck it into their purses and pockets for a sweet treat while they are going about their everyday lives.
To show how the brand fits in modern lifestyles, Werther’s created instantly relatable on-the-go moments when people could use a hard candy - commuting to work, walking a dog, or even a modern granny with a fanny pack. Werther’s paid particular attention to styling and wardrobe, featuring branded colors from the packaging in bold, arresting ways. The GIFs began wide with a sense of humanity and then quickly zoomed in to feature the Werther’s candy with a subtle gilded glint for emphasis.
Across all, Werther’s Original asked the question “Where do you Werther’s?” to drive engagement and highlight the portability of the classic hard caramel candies in a modern, conversational tone.
The paid social campaign featured a series of five 6-second GIFs making the content breakthrough and relatable for those of an age who might not think Werther’s Originals are a candy for them.
The campaign was highly successful at capturing consumers’ attention, especially among a younger audience. Ad recall soared +218% above the industry benchmark across all consumers with a +30% increase in adults 18–24 and +17% increase in adults 25-49.
In addition to breaking through the social clutter, Werther’s Original’s thumb-stopping 6-second GIFs also drove a +123% increase in purchase consideration vs. industry benchmark and a +10% increase in buyers during the campaign period.
