Snack food brand McVitie's has been around since 1830.
Where there's money, there's power. Billions of dollars go into advertising every year. The U.S. is the largest advertising market in the world — China comes in second — and it takes some of the most creative minds to come up with ideas that will stir a halfhearted crowd.
It's about more than just creativity. It's also about research. Those in the advertising industry look at how people spend their time and money, what they care about. Sometimes they use hard facts to get their point across. Social advertisers, for example, remind you that smoking kills. In one ad, a young boy is shown along with the caption, "He has his daddy's eyes and his momma's lungs."
The point is to get you to feel something and hopefully take some sort of action: change something, buy something. One of the most effective ways advertisers build relationships with consumers is through emotion. And what better way to make people feel things than with an adorable kitten? Yes, sometimes it really is that simple.
Check out these ads for McVitie's Chocolate Digestives featuring kittens.That's over 180 years of confectionary goodness. It wasn't until 1892 that it created the first digestive biscuit, which the brand is most famous for.
But when brands have been around for as long as McVitie's, they run the risk of looking and feeling outdated even if the products themselves are great.
And so, advertising company Grey London created a campaign to refresh the beloved snack. Instead of using a celebrity, they threw in some adorable kittens.
What do kittens have to do with digestive biscuits? Well, they're both small and bring a sense of comfort to your daily life. Can you think of any others?
McVitie's UK / YouTube
Here’s what UBSweet Biscuits Marketing Director Sarah Heynen has to say about everyday biscuit eating
"Imagine a world without biscuits," Heynen said. "You can't. There are literally millions of biscuit eating moments in Britain every day.
"Biscuits, as a wholesome, baked everyday treat, have been in our lives since the 1830s and the biscuit eating trend continues to grow as we bake new products to add to our heritage range.
"We're a nation of biscuit lovers with 99.2 per cent of British households purchasing biscuits in a year. This is amongst the highest penetration of any food category.
"We knew that our biscuits have a surprisingly important place in people's lives - people relate to them in a very emotional way. We wanted to bring this feeling to life, in a memorable, modern way."
McVitie's UK / YouTube
Snuggly kittens make their debut in a McVitie's commercial.
The advertisement is set up in a hospital where three nurses are taking a break. The break is made complete tea, McVitie's Digestive Biscuits, and a few surprise guests.
As they open the biscuits, a little kitten comes crawling out and then another.
The ad ends with this: "The chocolatey (or crumbly) snuggle of McVitie's. Sweeeet.™"
McVitie's UK / YouTube
**#1: Watch the McVitie's kittens work their magic below.**
They aren't just for afternoon tea. You can enjoy McVitie's while watching a movie as this ad suggests.
For McVitie's Digestives Nibbles, you see a couple of girls hanging out and watching a movie.
Just as shown in the other commercial, kittens come peeking out as they rip open the packet. To melt your heart even further, the ad includes the famous tune "Grease is the Word."
McVitie's UK / YouTube
**#2: Click the video below to watch the McVitie's kittens return for movie night.**
In this ad, a young man goes off to college and is shown unpacking a few items in his dormitory. He discovers a pack of McVitie's along with a note that reads, "Good luck. Love, Mom."
A few new friends pile into a room, including a girl who the boy is obviously attracted to. Ah, thank goodness for the McVitie's kitten.
When the kittens disappear, the scene flashes back to the group. They're quiet but pleased with the chocolatey snuggle. They somehow seem closer.
What can we say? Boys with biscuits (and kittens) are hard to resist.
McVitie's UK / YouTube
**#3: This final ad shows that you're never too cool for school or McVitie's.**
