Science - Tip Top | Clapboard Ad Archive

Tip Top’s Science campaign, developed by BBDO and launched in New Zealand in 2014, represents a singularly focused exploration of what the brand terms the science of feeling, ingeniously fusing the emotional peaks of ice cream consumption with the rigour of live experimentation. In an industry often saturated by lifestyle cliches and nostalgia-driven narratives, Tip Top stakes its claim in the food and drink market by inviting consumers into a sensory experiment, where enjoyment becomes measurable and the effect of their product is observed through a digital demonstration involving a busker in situ. The creative approach is emblematic of what Clapboard’s taxonomy designates as FORMAT#1—Demonstration, a device that trades on the immediate and authentic display of product benefit rather than artifice or celebrity endorsement. BBDO’s strategic choice to frame the campaign as an experiment not only foregrounds Tip Top’s pursuit of innovation, but it also positions the brand as unafraid to interrogate the everyday rituals that surround its category, elevating the act of eating ice cream from rote indulgence to an experience with quantifiable emotional impact. The digital execution, centered on the full experiment with the busker as catalyst, leverages the engagement possibilities of the medium while reinforcing Tip Top’s standing as a future-facing player willing to blend scientific curiosity with creative storytelling. This direction is especially resonant within the context of food marketing, where emotional affinity is currency and experiential campaigns create lasting value. By eschewing conventional testimonial or celebrity formats, the campaign lays bare its intent: to demonstrate in real time how Tip Top products can transform an ordinary moment into something memorably uplifting. Clapboard rates this 57/100. At a moment when the food and drink sector is increasingly defined by experience-first communication, Science is a compelling signal of how rigor and whimsy can intersect to create a more meaningful brand engagement.