Darrell Lea declares it’s palm oil free with a famously familiar ad

Darrell Lea has declared its products are now completely free of palm oil with an ad that will appear familiar to chocolate lovers.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Cadbury’s famous Gorilla campaign, Darrell Lea’s use of the orangutan is a reference to how it has become an endangered species, due in part to the destruction of its habitat for palm oil production. By eliminating palm oil from its products, Darrell Lea is living by its brand platform ‘Makes it better’, marketing director Tim Stanford said.

"There is growing awareness of the devastating impacts on natural habitats and endangered species associated with palm oil production," he said.

"Our consumers told us they would prefer our products to be palm oil free. We listened and we took action."

Palm oil is the world’s most widely consumed form of vegetable oil. Demand is driven by the low price of its production and the high yield of the crops compared to other forms of vegetable oil. It thrives in the tropics – 90 per cent is grown on a few islands in Malaysia and Indonesia, but its production threatens the habitat of orangutans.

Akkomplice executive creative director Sara Oteri said, "It’s not every day that you get to produce work that you know will have such a tangible and positive impact on our world."

Kenny Hill, founder of Akkomplice, added that "Darrell Lea is exactly the ambitious and rare breed of client that we love working with. They actively embrace ambitious creative and really run with it, so it’s wonderful to see the incredible success that the brand is enjoying."

Stanford said: “Akkomplice has again demonstrated their passion for our brand by delivering work that will start conversations and have a tremendous impact on our business.

"The ad of an orangutan in a rainforest perfectly encapsulates our brief which was to announce that Darrell Lea is now 100% palm oil-free. It’s a very emotional ad. The eyes of the orangutan are a great connection."

The campaign, titled "Darrell Lea Makes It Better" is running across TV, social media and digital outdoor, delivering a striking message. Online content has also been developed to educate consumers on palm oil and Darrell Lea’s process of removing it from its products.

Source: Mumbrella