Mars Puts Chupa's 'Oral Pleasure' on Ice

Brandweek, Sept 4, 2000 by Mike Beirne

Chupa Chups new agency D'Arcy, St. Louis, will attempt to broaden the lollipop's audience beyond its primary 12-24 target with first quarter print ads in fashion, film and music titles and radio spots built around an irreverent, yet more wholesome, "fun for your mouth" theme.

The strategic shift, apparently orchestrated by new distributor M&M/Mars, will move away from the playful salaciousness of Chupa Chups "Oral Pleasure" TV ad via The Richards Group, Dallas, whose sexual innuendo rang true with teens and young adults, but likely did not have the desired call to action for moms buying candy for their kids.

"Oral Pleasure is not an invalid approach for that part of the target audience, but it's not the whole story," said Arlo Oviatt, D'Arcy svp-group creative director." What you have to do is combine [teens and young adults] and get the kid sister, her aunt and grandma."

A possible new tagline: "Entertainment for your mouth."

The Richards ad--showing men in a veterinary clinic's waiting room being mesmerized and then some as they watch a woman lick a Chupa Chups lollipop--aired in spot Southwest markets during spring episodes of South Park, Friends and Ally McBeal. National placement, fueled by a $15 million budget, was set for January.

But the Spanish candy maker struck a deal with Mars, handing the U.S. distribution and marketing duties to the more staid Hackettstown, N.J.-based candy giant (Brandweek, June 5) apparently ending "Oral Pleasure's" brief run.

Along with switching ad chores to D'Arcy--Mars' agency for Skittles--the agreement puts Gyro Worldwide, Philadelphia, in charge of special events and sampling while CNB Entertainment, Los Angeles, gets VIP sampling duties and Buzz Marketing, Toronto, handles pr.

The Mars deal gives the lollipop distribution beyond its predominantly c-store strongholds in the Carolinas, Florida and the West Coast.

Chups already is gearing up for a run in grocery and mass channels with bright colored bags of 10 lollipops designed by Primo Angeli, San Francisco.

Since Chupa Chups will be more "findable," Oviatt said the campaign will lean on allowing consumers to discover the suckers themselves rather than over-market the sweets--hence no TV ads--and risk losing the hip luster the brand achieved through guerrilla marketing and celebrity sampling efforts.

The new theme will be mischievous with multiple executions appealing to kids, young adults and older consumers.

A heavy sampling push--some 20 million units strong--is also planned, along with street events with radio DJs that fit the brand's cool spontaneity The total budget is now pegged at $12 million.

Although Chupa Chups is the world's best-selling lollipop at $397 million in sales, with just $1.3 million in the U.S. it has yet to crack the top ranks of the $174 million domestic category where Tootsie Roll's Tootsie Pop, steady at about $34 million, and Charms, up 6% at $25 million, are the top brands for the year ended June 18, per IRI.