From making the perfect batter to the nation’s favourite toppings, Shrove Tuesday is a rich playground for consumer brands to create engaging content for socials – and with almost all of the UK’s national press posting a roundup of the best recipes – a great picture can be just the ticket to unlocking a new audience.
For the last few years, our client Tequila Rose has been a Pancake Day winner, using influencer images to push boozy pancake recipes through socials and amplifying the best visuals to national and regional media. With pickup this year from The Mail online.
Using the images from influencer work, the professional pictures have no doubt increased the appetite for these alcohol-infused pancakes
Here are some of our favourites –
Lyle’s Golden Syrup
For Pancake Day this year, Lyle’s Golden Syrup are campaigning for Pancake Day to be ‘remixed’ into Pancake Month as they encourage breakfasters to host an Absolutely Golden Breakfast Disco. Lyle’s partnered with DJ star Gemma Atkinson to curate a ‘golden playlist’ as the soundtrack and commissioned Jessica Houlders (@lifewiththehoulders on Instagram), to host a golden breakfast disco for her little ones.
Alongside their social campaign, Lyle’s released a timely survey revealing the UK’s biggest pancake-loving city.
RSPCA Assured
The RSPCA launched a social and trade PR campaign for Pancake Day to encourage people to buy eggs and milk that are RSPCA Assured. The content featured data that showed most Brits are concerned about hen welfare and two in three people look for the RSPCA Assured logo before they buy.
The timely campaign comes as 52 million eggs are predicted to be consumed on Pancake Day. Trade bible, The Grocer and Farming Life covered the story.
NHS
Drawing on data-led insight, the NHS issued a tweet highlighting the number of people who burn themselves on Pancake Day. Traffic to the NHS website for advice for burns and scalds spikes on Pancake Day as inexperienced pancake flippers experience tossing fails.
Waitrose
Waitrose also used data to tell a story, with search trends indicating Brits are planning an Americanised pancake day, with 57% searching for small, dense pancakes. It also showed that searches for its Scotch pancakes with salmon, sprouts, avocado and egg had risen by 163%, tapping into the sweet/savoury debate.
Own-label supermarket pancake wars
The Sun posted a taste test roundup of supermarket pancake mix that means you’re ready for Pancake Day in seconds. Lidl came out on top with a good 15/20 for just £1.19 for the bottle.
From hot cross buns to mince pies, the taste test of supermarket own-label products is a tried and tested feature in the national media and their ‘clickbait’ style titles drive traffic. The regular feature plays into the message that own-label products are just as good as branded alternatives – which means brands really do have to work harder to get cut through at key commercial times.