Situation: Caramilk had a difficult history with eBay. When Cadbury released Caramilk in Australia just for a limited time in 2018, it was so popular and sought-after that blocks became coveted, selling on eBay for more than 20 times the recommended retail price.

Brief: Our challenge was to launch Caramilk officially into the Australian market, with the real deal at the right price and available to all. Cadbury, a brand that stands for generosity, felt it had to do something about scalping. It was time to shut down the market once and for all.

Objectives: When we discovered people were stocking up and scalping our Caramilk blocks on eBay, we couldn’t stand by and watch it happen again. Our loyal fans were being exploited. We wanted an innovative idea that will ensure Caramilk was launched with a bang and attract not only existing but new fans to the brand.

In time for its official launch and for the first time in Caramilk's history, our supply will surpass the demand. So, before people could scalp the new release on eBay, Cadbury beat them to it. We listed Caramilk on eBay with more than 150 times as many listings as the scalpers, all listing the blocks for the right price and flooding the market. People stormed the site and we sold out in only 28 minutes. But then, we started seeing our own buyers turn into scalpers. Large quantities of our blocks began reappearing on the site at exorbitant prices. So, we relisted Caramilk on eBay, permanently. We made Caramilk Unscalpable, and beat the scalpers at their own game, one block at a time.

Through social media listening we uncovered a concerning trend in Australia: people listing old blocks of Caramilk on eBay and selling them for more than 20 times the recommended retail price. Cadbury stands for generosity, but this behaviour was the exact opposite.

We knew hardcore fans would hear about Caramilk’s launch anyway, so our objective was to also reach the masses. Having never tried this product, we needed to show them what all the hype was about to encourage trial.

Caramilk was back by popular demand. A social petition online asked Cadbury to bring it back, so it was clear we needed a social idea. We wanted an idea fans could share, but also something that could work for the mainstream.

With a limited media budget, we knew we needed an earned media idea. Australians love a story of injustice, so it was time for Cadbury to right a wrong.

Our campaign began on 23 September, 2019 and ran through to December 2019.

The Caramilk launch campaign started with a live countdown timer across limited OOH, digital display and social media channels across Australia, teasing a surprise from Cadbury.

On 26 September, 6 days before the official launch, we listed the first batch of Caramilk on eBay, selling it at the right price to bring down the scalpers' market. We sold a record breaking 500 blocks in 28 minutes. That’s about 8 blocks every 60 seconds.

Caramilk's eBay sale was supported with advertising around the site. In addition, we used social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), online video and digital display to help spread the news. More than 160 news media outlets covered the event, garnering PR and increasing positive brand sentiment during the launch period.

Unscalpable was created to launch Caramilk permanently into Australia so our scale was national.

Unscalpable was the most successful product launch in Cadbury Australia’s history. But the best result of all, is that most of the scalpers’ listings began to disappear. Unsold.

#1 selling chocolate across all retailers during the launch period.

+ $14.7 million sales in the first 8 weeks.

+ 300% sales growth compared to 2018 limited release.

+ 30% over-delivery on 2020 business plan.

+ 160 pieces of national and international news coverage.

+ 2 Million in earned PR/Media value.

Unscalpable was the first product launch of its kind, using the very platform Caramilk was being scalped on to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. It garnered massive PR and national news coverage with positive brand sentiment at 90% during the launch period. For example, our first Caramilk social post about the eBay sale received + 1.8 million organic reach, one of the highest organic reach posts for Cadbury, ever.