Client: Nestlé
One week before Easter, a key sales moment for chocolate, KitKat faced a supply chain crisis: 12 tonnes of KitKat bars were stolen in transit. Rather than hide it, we controlled the narrative to capture the world’s attention. Inflecting our release and online statements with the brand’s signature wit, we ignited an earned media and UGC wildfire. Then we turned that attention into action with The Stolen KitKat Tracker, transforming a pre-Easter theft into an investigation everyone could join. Developed at speed and deployed at scale, we empowered the world to become detectives, checking batch codes to discover if their KitKat was stolen. Built entirely on earned and organic social media, the campaign sparked unprecedented amplification. Journalists couldn’t resist covering it. Consumers and creators turned into detectives. Memes and parodies followed. This response completely flipped a financial loss into an enormous gain. Encouraging purchase, reinforcing KitKat’s playful spirit, and cracking open the investigation. Without spending on media, we protected Easter sales and strengthened reputation — rewriting the playbook for modern creative crisis management.
