Pot Noodle’s key product benefit of time-saving neded to be aligned not with laziness but with achievement and aspiration.

At the core ‘You Can Make It’ was the idea that Pot Noodle could help you follow your dreams, whatever they may be. Our audience needed a bold, brave role model.

In stepped the ad, showing a young man training to fulfil his boxing dream, becoming a ring boy.

In the year of Caitlin Jenner’s groundbreaking Vanity Fair cover, gender stereotypes were being shattered. However in some areas, stereotypes were still in force.

To prove the authenticity of Pot Noodle’s new brand positioning, we decided to put the ad’s star, Michael Moran, in the ring for real.

The brand which previously epitomised lad culture would now be putting a man in a tankini in front of thousands of fans at the Anthony Joshua v Gary Cornish fight at the O2 Arena.

5 SEPTEMBER

Pot Noodle’s #YouCanMakeIt ad aired, starring aspiring actor Michael Moran, aired. Pot Noodle was trending on Twitter as viewers went wild.

7-11 SEPTEMBER

Moran became an overnight hero and the ad was praised by LGBT media for challenging gender stereotypes. We moved to get Moran in the ring for real for the Anthony Joshua vs Gary Cornish fight, convincing boxing promoter Barry Hearn to let us bring Mike to the big fight.

12 SEPTEMBER

Mike headed to O2 Arena to do his thing in front of a packed crowd.

Photography was seeded to media within an hour and footage was edited overnight to be made available to media the next day.

Pot Noodle had helped him to realise two dreams – firstly, by putting his acting in front of millions and secondly, by putting Michael in the ring, for real. He made it and the coverage told his story.

AWARENESS+CONSIDERATION

• The brand was championed by LGBT press for challenging expected gender roles, heroed by sports media for the ring boy appearing prior to the Anthony Joshua boxing fight and applauded by national media

• Over 100 pieces of traditional PR coverage, including 23 national hits

• Pot Noodle trended on Twitter during launch

• Throughout the campaign 92% of people mentioning #YouCanMakeIt were aged between 16 and 24 (Pot Noodle’s target audience)

• 91% of conversation generated organically

• 92% of conversation positive or neutral

• Over 90% of media coverage wholly positive

BUSINESS RESULTS

• Pot Noodle recorded its highest penetration of new customers ever and saw a +3.6% value sales increase in retail, proving positive brand love spread to sales and new customers

• 364,000 extra houses bought Pot Noodle

• Total brand value exceeded £100million for the first time