Duracell is ditching its rampant rabbit for a new out-of-home campaign highlighting its innovative product safety feature; the fact that the coating on its lithium coin batteries has a repulsive taste to discourage kids from swallowing them.
Bitter Truths, developed by agency VML UK, targets parents and showcases Duracell’s bitter coating technology while highlighting the brand’s commitment to safety.
Due to the increasing use of Lithium Coin batteries in everyday products such as scales, key fobs, remote controls and flameless candles, the number of child ingestion accidents is on the rise; research shows the number of related accidents in households across the globe has more than quadrupled since 2002.
Duracell is working hard to tackle this issue as the only Lithium Coin battery supplier with Bitrex technology designed to help prevent ingestion. The non-toxic substance, which is also the most bitter on earth, leaves a repulsive taste that encourages babies and toddlers to spit out the battery to help avoid swallowing.
Bitter Truths highlights this technology through a series of out-of-home and social executions with the end-line “some things are too bitter for kids to swallow”. These playful illustrations are designed to juxtapose childhood innocence with life’s harsher realities… or bitter truths.
Duracell associate marketing director Marco Montanaro said: “Child safety is a key issue for Duracell. We wanted to take a bold approach to communicate this serious message. So, we’ve struck close to home.
“We knew that was what’s needed to cut through all the safety messages out in the world… with creative that might make some people feel uncomfortable – crafting something that is not only visually impactful but humorously resonates with parents everywhere with its tongue-in-cheek approach.”
Working with celebrated children’s illustrators, such as David Litchfield (creator of the best-selling The Bear & The Piano) and Maxine Vee (a Canadian artist known for her work with Disney), and 3D animators Arcade Studio, the campaign presents whimsical childhood-style artwork with unexpected twists to deliver a powerful message about battery safety.
The campaign aims to make maximum impact with the placement of digital out-of-home executions, supported by a social media campaign designed to amplify awareness of this important safety feature.
VML UK chief creative officer Ryan McManus commented: “People generally ignore safety messages, so we decide to speak in a way that parents of young children wouldn’t ignore. We created a set of innocent kids’ illustrations from cartoons and bedtime stories, but within them sits a bitter truth – designed to capture parents’ attention and tell them about this incredible safety feature.”
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