Alpen's 'Ralph' success sees Mother munch on Weetabix

Weetabix Food Company has given Mother a new year boost by handing the agency the advertising account for its main Weetabix brand without a pitch, 12 months after it started working on sister brand Alpen.

The appointment follows the completion of an initial project for the brand and the agency will begin work this month, with the first activity launching in the spring.

The move has been driven by the success of Alpen’s first brand mascot Ralph, the Honey Monster lookalike which was brought out of retirement in May last year to front the “Alpen, It’s the Grown Up Thing to Do” campaign which launched with a 30” film.

Supporting Alpen’s new packaging design, the film followed the shaggy red mascot as he talked through his past endeavours, working for every type of cereal brand imaginable.

The Weetabix account switches from BBH, which has handled the business for 14 years, with campaigns that included “Fuel for Big Days”, the resurrection of “Have You Had Your Weetabix?” and the most recent “Building Britain Bix by Bix”.

The scope of the appointment will see Mother evolve Weetabix’s existing Discovery campaign and aim to amplify the brand’s All Stars activity.

The breakfast brand, which can trace its roots back to 1920s Australia, appointed MIndshare to its media account in June last year, also without a pitch, following an initial 18 month contract that exceeded planned benchmarks and consistently generated a strong ROI.

Weetabix marketing and new product development director Francesca Theokli said: “Having made iconic work with BBH, we’re eternally grateful to the talented people behind it.

“When your muesli brand’s first mascot in decades becomes a category-reviving cultural moment, you pay attention. Mother brought Ralph to life for Alpen with the kind of bold, joyful creativity that reminded the whole category what breakfast advertising could be. We’re excited to see that same Mother energy applied to Weetabix’s next chapter.”

Mother managing director Katie Elliott added: “Weetabix is one of those rare British brands that genuinely means something to most of us. It’s been part of the nation’s mornings for generations; that kind of cultural weight is a gift for any creative partner. We can’t wait to tuck in with Fran and the team.”