The "Surprise" campaign for Tic Tac, launched in Italy in 2013, aims to reinforce the brand’s core proposition of delivering small moments of delight and unexpected joy through its product. Positioned within the confectionery and snacks industry, Tic Tac leverages its signature attribute of subtle freshness and fun, promising consumers a playful and uplifting sensory experience. The campaign uses a narrative-driven film to evoke a sense of wonder and lightheartedness that aligns with the brand’s identity as a compact, enjoyable treat that can brighten everyday moments.
Strategically, the campaign taps into the insight that consumers seek brief, refreshing escapes in their busy lives. By adopting a narrative genre with creative animation and artful character design, the campaign engages audiences emotionally, moving beyond straightforward product messaging to highlight the element of surprise inherent in Tic Tac’s brand experience. The Italian market focus is complemented by locally relevant creative execution, which supports authenticity and cultural resonance. Targeting consumers who appreciate small pleasures and moments of spontaneity, the campaign’s storytelling approach differentiates Tic Tac within a competitive confectionery-snacks category often dominated by more conventional product claims. Overall, the campaign’s strategic angle is to position Tic Tac not just as a confectionary item but as a source of whimsical interaction, thereby reinforcing brand loyalty through emotional engagement.
FORMAT#6 BENEFIT CAUSES STORY — Builds a story where the product’s benefit is the reason for the action or twist.
The campaign "Surprise" for Tic Tac, as suggested by its title and the narrative genre, implies a short film where the product’s benefit (refreshment, surprise, or delight from Tic Tac) initiates or causes an unexpected event or turn. No evidence points to an ongoing character, celebrity, or direct product demonstration, nor is there direct problem–solution exposition or competitive comparison. Instead, the narrative and "Surprise" cue indicate a story built around the product's core benefit yielding an amusing or surprising outcome—characteristic of the Benefit Causes Story device, where the consumption or presence of the product sets off the campaign’s central twist or resolution.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Mentos – Market Positioning
Mentos positions itself as a fun, youthful brand with a refreshing and chewy candy experience. Known for its distinctive mint and fruit flavors, Mentos emphasizes playful, energetic messaging and often leverages viral marketing to engage younger consumers, differentiating through its chewy texture and vibrant taste variety.
2. Altoids – Market Positioning
Altoids is marketed as a bold, premium mint brand with a distinctive strong flavor profile ("Curiously Strong Mints"). It targets adult consumers seeking an intense, classic taste experience, using vintage-inspired packaging and positioning itself as a sophisticated breath-freshening solution.
3. Fisherman's Friend – Market Positioning
Fisherman’s Friend focuses on medicinal-strength mints that provide powerful relief for sore throats and fresh breath. It appeals to a health-conscious audience with its functional proposition, emphasizing natural ingredients and effectiveness over conventional confectionery appeal.
4. Wrigley’s Eclipse – Market Positioning
Eclipse mints are positioned as a premium fresh breath product that combines intense mint flavor with a contemporary, sleek image. The brand targets professional and urban consumers seeking confidence and freshness throughout the day, leveraging modern packaging and crisp branding.
5. Chupa Chups – Market Positioning
Chupa Chups stands out in confectionery with its iconic lollipops, focusing on fun, nostalgia, and diverse flavor options. While not a direct mint competitor, it competes broadly in the confectionery/snacks space by emphasizing vibrant, playful branding and global cultural appeal.
Q: What is Surprise about?
A: Surprise is a professional campaign launched in Italy in 2013 for the Tic Tac brand, created by the agency Havas and produced by Tax Free Film. Directed by Franco Tassi, the campaign centers on a vibrant animated film that captures Tic Tac’s playful spirit through whimsical character design by Silvia Casali and dynamic animation by Cristian Guerreschi. The film leverages expert compositing, color correction, lighting, and rendering to deliver a visually engaging narrative. Surprise was designed to connect with Italian consumers by emphasizing moments of delight and unexpected joy, aligning with Tic Tac’s identity as a fun, refreshing confectionery treat.
Q: What creative device does Surprise use?
A: Surprise employs the Benefit Causes Story creative format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach builds a narrative in which the product’s benefit—here, the refreshment and delight of Tic Tac—serves as the catalyst for an unexpected event or twist within the story. Rather than relying on direct product demonstration or celebrity endorsement, the campaign uses storytelling and animation to illustrate how Tic Tac’s core attribute of surprise can transform everyday moments, reinforcing the brand’s playful and uplifting positioning.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for Surprise?
A: The campaign proposition for Surprise is to reinforce Tic Tac’s core message of delivering small moments of delight and unexpected joy through its product. Targeted at consumers in the confectionery and snacks market who value brief, refreshing escapes, the campaign positions Tic Tac as a compact, enjoyable treat that can brighten daily life. By using narrative-driven animation and emotionally engaging creative, Surprise differentiates Tic Tac from competitors by emphasizing spontaneity and whimsy, aiming to build brand loyalty through emotional resonance rather than conventional product claims.
Q: How does Surprise rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: Surprise holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 63/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance within the confectionery and snacks category.
Q: Who are the competitors in Tic Tac's category?
A: In the confectionery and snacks category, Tic Tac competes with Mentos, which is positioned as a fun, youthful brand known for its chewy texture and viral marketing; Altoids, marketed as a bold, premium mint with a strong flavor profile targeting adults; Fisherman’s Friend, which appeals to health-conscious consumers seeking medicinal-strength mints; Wrigley’s Eclipse, positioned as a sleek, premium fresh breath solution for professionals; and Chupa Chups, which stands out with its playful, nostalgic lollipops and vibrant global appeal.
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