100 years of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives: The biscuit birthday that took over Britain

The Challenge

When McVitie's Chocolate Digestives turned 100, the challenge wasn't simply to mark a milestone, it was to re-energise the entire shopper journey at a time when inflation was pushing consumers toward cheaper copycat alternatives. The brand needed to reconnect the nation with the original and rebuild the journey from awareness to conversion.

The Strategy

Designed as a full-funnel campaign, the strategy sparked brand fame at the top, strengthened recognition through the mid-funnel, and converted at the bottom. Working with Capture, the campaign spanned 38 channels across five major retailers, with a single cohesive creative identity running throughout.

Execution and Innovation

High-impact OOH, digital and experiential formats ignited national visibility. Retailer digital and social placements reinforced the message. The mechanic "Win 100 every 100 minutes" became the conversion engine, brought to life through bold, golden creative inspired by the plain digestives pack. Spotify Audio was added as an upper-funnel touchpoint, reaching consumers in non-traditional retail environments.

Results

McVitie's 100 Years showed how creativity, retailer collaboration and data-driven planning can work together across the entire funnel, delivering commercially meaningful results that outperformed historical benchmarks.

Judges' Verdict

"A definitive full-funnel retail campaign that set a new benchmark for large-scale coordination, seamlessly connecting 38 distinct touchpoints across five major retailers."

"This omnichannel approach didn't just drive shoppers from awareness to purchase, it delivered commercially meaningful results that solidified the power of truly connected retail media."