Nesquik faced an uphill battle. The Cold Milk Modifier category declined significantly (-26%) from 2008 – 2019 and as the market leader, Nesquik felt the same declines – they were bleeding households. They learned that their decline could be attributed to a lack of relevance with today’s Canadian parents. Although they had fond and emotional memories of Nesquik, they didn’t see a role for Nesquik in their modern family as parenting had become more nuanced and dynamic compared to the past. The definition of raising a “healthy” child had expanded.

This expansion of what a “healthy” child looked like placed a new emphasis on health and wellness, which resulted in parents becoming more critical of sugar consumption. Sugary treats, like chocolate syrup, had fallen out of favour, introducing a new competitor category – better-for-you-treats and healthy snacks. Now they were competing for mindspace and share of wallet against far more options than their already stacked competitive set of yesteryear’s treat and snack categories.

They knew parents didn’t need to be told how to raise their kids, and they definitely didn't want to be made to feel bad, good or otherwise about how they were doing it. What parents want, and need, is to see a reflection of real life that reminds them of the fun of watching their children grow and develop.

This is because they were also feeling the pressure of the new “healthy child ideal.” Today's parents were constantly oscillating between finding teachable moments where their kids had space to grow their independence, while also looking to create the fun, memorable moments that are so meaningful.

Fortunately, Nesquik was the antidote. That’s because making a glass of Nesquik is independent and involved at the same time allowing kids to be in the driver’s seat. They can measure and mix, feel empowered and have fun, giving parents a sense of pride as they watch. And now with no artificial flavours or colours, making a glass of Nesquik is something parents can feel good about.

Nesquik was the perfect demonstration that moments of fun and growth don’t need to be mutually exclusive.

To launch the improved recipe, they spoke to parents of “Betweenagers”, that unique in-between age when kids are too old for the little-kid-things they grew up with and too young for everything else. A time when they want what they can’t have, nothing is made just for them and independence is just out of reach. But they can make Nesquik. And growing up, like Nesquik, is all in the making.

The executions were an insightful look at how learning moments are a fun part of growing up. Just like Nesquik. Because if they could get parents to see the world through the eyes of their kids, maybe they could get them to see Nesquik as more than a chocolatey treat and an important part of growing up.

They offered Betweenager wisdom on TV, digital display and social media for everything from
Betweenagers wanting makeup and getting face paint to those learning moments that only come
from a homemade haircut.

They created memes and short videos for social media, straight from the minds of Betweenagers, and digital assets that wove in the new product RTBs into the brand story while driving appetite appeal. They
generated excitement across the shopper journey with improved search, new in-store POS and a
refreshed Amazon Brand Store.

Their approach worked. The campaign exceeded expectations by not only reinvigorating Nesquik’s competitive position in the category, but also by winning the hearts and minds of parents. Nesquik’s relevance among parents immediately increased (“Nesquik is Relevant to me” +12%). The campaign led to some extraordinary increases in sentiment that showed significant improvements in parents' perception of Nesquik: Nesquik “is made with high quality ingredients” +27%, Nesquik “is made without artificial ingredients” +40%, and Nesquik “is a product I feel good about giving my kids” +9%. These sentiment changes led to an increase in 2021’s sales of +17.8% compared to 2019, the last time the market was stable.

Best of all, they gave Betweenagers and their parents moments to remember.