Campaign Overview

The 2024 Cadbury Bunny Tryouts was a fun and imaginative way for animal lovers across the country to showcase their pets. Designed to drive consumer engagement on social media and generate earned media coverage, the contest invited participants to submit photos or videos of their pets dressed as the Cadbury Bunny on Instagram.

From fluffy, feathered, and even scaly contenders, more than 300 pets hopped into the competition, each with a unique story and compelling reason why they deserved the title. In the end, Louie the Raccoon charmed voters and claimed the grand prize, outshining a bearded dragon, parrot, horse, cat, pit bull, and more.

Our Solution

Cadbury partnered with Realtime Media to launch the contest in March, strategically timing it to build excitement in the lead-up to Easter and reinforce the seasonal connection to its popular chocolate eggs. The contest also tapped into the excitement of March Madness by incorporating a head-to-head, bracket-style fan-voting system.

Our Approach:

• Instagram Submissions: Pet owners submitted photos or videos of their pets dressed as the Cadbury Bunny, along with a short pitch explaining why their pet should win the title. To complete their Instagram entry, participants followed @CadburyUSA and tagged their entries with #CadburyBunnyContest, further expanding Cadbury’s social presence.
• Bracket-Style Voting: Our team moderated submissions based on the contest’s judging criteria, after which Cadbury selected the top entries to compete in the head-to-head tournament. Over five fast-paced 24-hour voting rounds, thousands of fans cast their votes via Instagram stories to determine the ultimate winner. The competition began with 32 semi-finalists in the “Round of Thirty-Cute,” and progressed through the "Crème Sixteen," "A Litter of Eight," and the "Final Fur"—until the winning pet was crowned.
• Prizes: The grand prizewinner, Louie the Raccoon, a two-year-old rescue, received $7,000 and a featured role in Cadbury’s Easter campaign commercial. Early round winners received prizes ranging from $100 to $800. Using our proprietary prize redemption solution, Realtime Media seamlessly handled winner verification and fulfillment.

Key Benefits:

• Consumer Engagement: The contest tapped into the strong emotional connection between pet owners and their pets. Thousands of animal lovers and Cadbury fans were highly engaged, submitting creative entries and actively voting throughout the contest.
• Brand Awareness & Earned Media: The Cadbury Bunny Tryouts was a memorable campaign that generated widespread awareness, fueled by over 300 adorable contestants bringing their charm and cuteness to the competition. The contest leveraged Instagram’s visual and interactive nature to drive both engagement and organic reach, earning positive coverage across media and social platforms.

The widespread sharing of user-generated content, combined with media coverage, amplified the campaign’s reach. The integration of the contest with Easter and March Madness ensured high engagement, making the Cadbury Bunny Tryouts a compelling case study in seasonal and event-driven marketing.

Interested in learning more about how we can help with your next Digital Promotion? Get in touch with us today!