McVities Finally Goes Mad And It’s Fantastic

I’ve written about the McVities “Sweeet” ads by Grey before. In sceptical tones, frankly.

But they’ve won me over, basically by doubling down on the crazy. Forget kitsch kittens and owls, what this campaign needed was a rocket-propelled flying squirrel and some 80s synth. Fun times.

In all honesty this was exactly where the campaign needed to go. Full-throated is always more convincing than half-hearted. And this is a film that, silliness aside, feels a lot more engaged than the previous work.

After all, it’s a campaign to launch a breakfast biscuit. I’m not totally sure what a breakfast biscuit is. But telling me it’s a thing that gives you energy and enthusiasm at the start of day – or more accurately, showing me – is exactly what you need to do to sell the idea.

I think there’s a tendency with these sorts of ads to be a little too polished. And the truth is you don’t want too much polish with something that is supposed to be fun and a bit cheeky. You don’t want to be ‘nice’. You want to be interesting.

Nice may be inoffensive. But it doesn’t excite – and it doesn’t make you want to share the news.

Great stuff Grey. You had me at “rocket-propelled flying squirrel”.