TV show The Great British Bake-Off has been such a massive hit around the world that some might assume Brits are making cakes morning, noon and night. But in truth, most of us see sugar purely as something to stir into hot drinks.
That’s why Silver Spoon, the UK’s leading sugar brand, has teamed up with independent creative studio Ourselves to inspire us to get baking, through TV, digital, and outdoor advertising.
The campaign centres on a Victoria sponge recipe passed down through generations, with the hero film following a girl named Victoria and her lifelong love of baking.
Set to a remake of The Kinks’ 1969 hit Victoria, the ad spans 50 years, highlighting how baking remains a cherished family tradition across changing times. It’s all quite reminiscent of the Cadbury’s ad ‘Mum’s Birthday’ which does a similar time-hopping trick.
TV commercial
The advert begins with a young girl, Victoria, learning to bake with her mother. Victoria’s story is followed through three generations of lively kitchen scenes.
Victoria grows into a young woman who develops a passion for baking and showcases the many moments of baking joy throughout her life, including as a mother and
grandmother. The fashions and occasions may change across the decades, but the joy of baking remains a constant, joyful hobby and, in time, a family bond.
The film spot was directed by Abel Rubenstein, whose Life In Love series is currently airing on ITV and will run alongside OOH.
Packaging and posters
The new campaign accompanies the redesign of the Silver Spoon packaging by Outlaw, which landed in stores earlier this year. Heritage packaging designs also make a cameo appearance in the campaign, as the creative team delved through the archives to uncover previous designs.
The OOH creative features the same cast of characters, pictured next to copy lines that sum up the powerful memories created by afternoons spent baking in the kitchen.
Licking the spoon is described as “Still the best bit,” while other lines share the treasured moments built around baking with Silver Spoon: “When it rained, we poured,” “One day he’ll ask for the recipe,” and “Just like my mum used to make”.
Ode to joy
“We tend to think of Silver Spoon as two sugars in a cup of tea, when in fact it’s always been a key part of baking for over 50 years now too,” says Aaron Howard, founder of Ourselves. “I distinctly remember that bag being pulled from the cupboard when my mum would make a crumble on a Sunday. That’s what this campaign aims to bring to life: the joyful act of baking and the memories it creates.”
Lauren Crawford, the home baking brands controller at Silver Spoon, adds, “Baking is a much-loved hobby in the UK, but life is so busy that sometimes consumers forget the joy of baking. Our brief to Ourselves was to develop a comms platform with longevity, and in response, they have developed a powerful creative campaign that will inspire Britain to create more moments of baking joy.”