Babybel - Join the Goodness
Babybel approached Havas Chicago and BETC Paris. The client wanted to position Babybel as a hero snack, empowering consumers to break free from the constant temptation of unhealthy eating habits. The challenge was to inspire a shift towards healthier choices, making "goodness" appealing and accessible for everyday snackers. They sought a campaign that would encourage people to "Join the Goodness" and choose Babybel.
Creative Idea
Babybel created a surreal Bangkok where its heroes fought junk food, showing the snack empowers healthier eating choices.
Babybel created a surreal campaign transforming Bangkok into a Babybel world to show how their snack can help people break free from unhealthy eating habits. The campaign uses a magical realism approach to position Babybel as a "goodness" hero that empowers consumers to choose healthier snack options.
Fighting Junk Food Drones in a Gummy Bear World
A Blockbuster Pivot from the Lunchbox
Launched in 76 countries across five continents, this 360-degree campaign marked a radical shift from "kid-focused" marketing to a global lifestyle brand. Before the launch, Babybel faced a 6.4% volume decline due to pandemic-related school closures. The "Join the Goodness" platform successfully repositioned the snack as a "mindful" choice for adults, emphasizing its 100% real cheese credentials against a world of processed "temptation." The strategy worked: in the UK, moving Babybel to "food-to-go" aisles resulted in a 120% incremental sales uplift.
Oscar Winning Vision in Bangkok
To achieve a cinematic "blockbuster" feel, the brand tapped Hervé de Crécy, the Oscar-winning director of *Logorama*. Production took place in Bangkok, Thailand, where live-action footage was merged with high-end CGI from Platige Image. The team created a "fantasy world" of junk food, featuring doughnut drones and cupcake towers. To give the "Babybel League" heroes - Big-Bel, Super-Bel, and Flexi-Bel - a distinct personality, sound company Capitaine Plouf developed a unique "fun language" of emotional vocalizations rather than traditional dialogue.
Sustainability and the Goodness Bench
The campaign also served as a vehicle for the brand’s environmental evolution, launching a TerraCycle partnership to recycle the iconic red wax and cellophane. In 2023, the brand extended the "Goodness" theme into the physical world with a "Goodness Bench" at London’s King’s Cross Station. The installation played positive news stories and triggered donations to Comic Relief whenever someone sat down. By its 2023 iteration, the campaign reached over 33% of all UK adults at least five times, cementing its place as a cultural mainstay before transitioning to the "The Fun Kind of Good" platform in 2025.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Babybel leverages its iconic red-wax identity and reputation as a 100% real cheese snack to position itself as a natural alternative. Its portable, playful form factor allows it to credibly act as a 'hero' in the on-the-go snacking world.
Category
The category typically relies on literal product shots or domestic 'mom-and-child' tropes. Most healthy snack ads feel restrictive or clinical, failing to capture the epic scale of the battle against junk food.
Customer
Modern snackers feel trapped in an environment designed for over-consumption and 'bittersweet' temptation. They want a sense of agency and a 'little help' to break free from the cycle of unhealthy, processed choices.
Culture
The rise of 'Big Food' skepticism and a craving for cinematic escapism allowed a surreal, blockbuster-style narrative to resonate. People are looking for brands to take a stand for 'goodness' in a visually overwhelmed world.
Company
Babybel leverages its iconic red-wax identity and reputation as a 100% real cheese snack to position itself as a natural alternative. Its portable, playful form factor allows it to credibly act as a 'hero' in the on-the-go snacking world.
Category
The category typically relies on literal product shots or domestic 'mom-and-child' tropes. Most healthy snack ads feel restrictive or clinical, failing to capture the epic scale of the battle against junk food.
Strategy:
Position Babybel as a cinematic hero liberating consumers from junk food through a surreal, visually epic world of goodness.
Customer
Modern snackers feel trapped in an environment designed for over-consumption and 'bittersweet' temptation. They want a sense of agency and a 'little help' to break free from the cycle of unhealthy, processed choices.
Culture
The rise of 'Big Food' skepticism and a craving for cinematic escapism allowed a surreal, blockbuster-style narrative to resonate. People are looking for brands to take a stand for 'goodness' in a visually overwhelmed world.
Strategy:
Position Babybel as a cinematic hero liberating consumers from junk food through a surreal, visually epic world of goodness.
Strategy Technique
Make the Brand the Hero of a Bigger Fight
Babybel positions itself as a 'goodness hero' fighting the widespread problem of unhealthy eating habits. This elevates the snack to a symbol of empowerment for better choices.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Create Fantasy Worlds, People and Things
The campaign transforms Bangkok into a surreal Babybel world, visualizing the brand's 'goodness' as a pervasive force. This crafts an alternate reality where healthier choices are the empowering norm.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional due to its ambitious blend of live-action and CGI, creating a rich, metaphorical world that effectively communicates the brand's message through visual storytelling and strong character design.
The seamless integration of CGI characters and environments with live-action footage is outstanding, creating a believable and immersive world that transitions dramatically.
The distinct visual styles for the 'sweet' dystopian city, the dark control room, and the 'natural' transformed city are meticulously crafted and effectively convey the narrative's themes.
The Babybel cheese characters are dynamically animated with personality, from their agile movements to their expressive faces, making them compelling protagonists.
The sound design effectively builds atmosphere, transitioning from unsettling electronic sounds to heroic orchestral scores, enhancing the emotional impact of each scene.
The true magic of this campaign comes from the synergy between visual effects, art direction, and animation, which together build a compelling narrative world that enhances Babybel's brand message.
