Most parents can relate to how challenging it is to balance work, relationships, and responsibility. And when the pandemic and lockdowns in New Zealand made it more difficult for families to reconnect and enjoy quality time together, it only intensified those struggles.

So when Pascall — New Zealand’s largest everyday candy brand owned by Mondelez — approached Stuff’s Content Studio, we were thrilled to help them reconnect with Millennial parents in a post-lockdown world.

With Family FUNdamentals, our starting point was that spending just 10 minutes together enhances family connections. Our goal was to remind today’s generation of parents of the joy of the simple, spontaneous moments of our youth and capture the nostalgia associated with their most iconic sweets, e.g., Jet Planes, Pineapple Lumps, and Milk Bottles.

Fun for all ages

Fronted by Millennial dad and comedian Cori Gonzales-Maceur, we tapped into Stuff’s playful side and devised a multi-channel approach with native content. This included a digital hub of original videos, games, quizzes, innovative interactive colouring-in tools, TikTok videos, and digital and print advertising — all of which subtly integrated the confectionery. 

To evoke “Kiwiness” and encourage parents to let go of adulting for a moment and access their inner child, all content was designed for parents and kids to do together.

Rediscovering playtime

Stuff is New Zealand’s most trusted publisher and largest news network. But tapping into the playful side of our audience worked, exceeding all expectations. The results spoke for themselves: We delivered a remarkable 285% above-average time on articles, doubled benchmarks on other content, and had more than 300,000 TikTok views combined.

The campaign tagline was “an antidote to a frazzled age.” And the spirit of bonding was felt beyond parents and kids. Working on Family FUNdamentals was a collaborative delight across a dedicated cast which included our video production partner Augusto, Mondelez’ agency Mindshare, illustrators, designers, writers, and in-house producers.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .