Mondelez’s Nitin Saini on immersive storytelling & creating memories this Raksha Bandhan

Mondelez’s Cadbury, renowned for its innovative and festive season campaigns, has once again captivated audiences with its latest offering for Raksha Bandhan. The brand, well-known for leveraging AI to enhance its campaigns, has introduced the #CreatingMemoriesNeverClicked initiative, designed to transform undocumented memories into lifelike photographs. Through a user-friendly microsite, www.cadburycreatingmemories.com, brothers can share their most cherished moments with siblings and use advanced AI technology to recreate those memories as personalized images.

Developed by Ogilvy India’s creative tech team, the site features cutting-edge techniques such as facial restoration, out-painting, and de-aging, ensuring high-quality results while maintaining ethical standards.

In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Nitin Saini, Vice President – Marketing, Mondelez India, discusses in detail the inspiration behind the #CreatingMemoriesNeverClicked campaign, the creative process behind the microsite, particularly the use of AI technology, and the challenges faced. Saini further speaks about the collaboration with Ogilvy India’s creative tech team. He highlights how Mondelez has a history of using AI in its previous campaigns and how the company is now perfecting its use to achieve better ROI. He also touched on future initiatives in the pipeline that will continue to leverage technology to deepen the emotional connection with consumers, and more.

What inspired the #CreatingMemoriesNeverClicked campaign, and how did the concept of turning uncaptured moments into cherished keepsakes come to life to convey the intended message?

The inspiration for the #CreatingMemoriesNeverClicked campaign stemmed from the essence of sibling relationships, which are often marked by countless moments of love, laughter, and shared experiences. Many of these moments, though deeply cherished, remain uncaptured, living only in our memories. We wanted to bring those moments to life in a tangible way, allowing siblings to relive and preserve the unique bond they share. By turning these uncaptured moments into keepsakes, we aimed to convey a message that resonates with our brand’s core – making every occasion special and memorable. This campaign aligns perfectly with our ongoing effort to help people express their love in thoughtful and meaningful ways, particularly during Raksha Bandhan, a festival that celebrates the beautiful bond between brothers and sisters. It’s our way of saying that every little moment matters, and through this campaign, we hope to help brothers and sisters relive and cherish those special times.

Could you walk us through the creative process behind the microsite, particularly the use of AI technology, and share the challenges and innovations involved in developing features like facial restoration, out-painting, and de-aging?

Creating the microsite for the campaign was a journey that combined cutting-edge AI technology with a deep understanding of human emotions. We wanted the microsite to be more than just a digital tool, it needed to be a bridge between the past and the present, allowing users to relive and preserve their most cherished memories. The use of AI technology was central to this vision. The tool’s features like facial restoration, out-painting, and de-aging were not just technological feats but ways to ensure that the recreated moments felt authentic and emotionally resonant while adhering to ethical standards. Each of these features presented its own set of challenges. For instance, maintaining the emotional integrity of a memory while using AI to reconstruct it was a delicate balance. We had to ensure that the technology complemented the emotions rather than overshadowing them.

Ogilvy India was instrumental in overcoming these challenges. They worked tirelessly to perfect the AI algorithms, ensuring that each recreated image was not just a high-quality visual but a true reflection of the memory it represented. The end result is a platform that allows brothers to transform forgotten moments into beautiful, tangible keepsakes – an experience that is both innovative and deeply personal.

Which platforms and channels were prioritized to maximize engagement, and how did you ensure the message reached the target audience effectively? Is there an increase in budgets specifically for influencer marketing or social media campaigns for Raksha Bandhan?

While traditional promotions are on, we also focused heavily on digital platforms, especially social media, where we know our audience is most engaged. These platforms allow us to connect with consumers in a way that’s interactive and personal – perfect for a campaign that’s all about creating and sharing memories.

In terms of budget, the festive season will always remain crucial and demand a larger part of our investments for the year.

How do you see the role of technology, especially AI, in enhancing consumer engagement for brands like Cadbury Celebrations?

The role of technology in our campaigns is to serve as a catalyst for effective storytelling. Our journey around tech-enabled personalization started about three years back. The brand values have evolved wherein purpose has become core to all communication at the back of leveraging technology to empathise and personalize@scale as seen across our campaigns. It's about enhancing the consumer experience in a way that feels personal and meaningful, ensuring that our brand continues to be a trusted companion in celebrating life's most important occasions.

Thus, we usually start by placing our brand purpose at the core of our strategies and then leverage data-driven strategies.

Could you share more about your collaboration with Ogilvy India’s creative tech team? Mondelez is known for using AI in its previous campaigns, so how is the company perfecting the use of AI, and what ROI is it achieving?

The Ogilvy team brought an incredible depth of expertise to the project. They understood that the use of AI in this campaign was not just about technical innovation – it was about creating something that resonated on a deeply personal level with our audience. Their work on features like facial restoration, out-painting, and de-aging ensured that each recreated memory felt authentic and emotionally impactful while adhering to ethical standards. This collaboration has been a testament to what can be achieved when creativity and technology come together with a shared purpose. Together, we’ve been able to offer our consumers a way to relive and cherish their most treasured memories, making this campaign a truly memorable experience for everyone involved.

With the festive season approaching, how do you plan to allocate your marketing budget for the festive season in the second half of the year?

As we head into the festive season, our approach is all about balance and impact. We understand that this time of year is about more than just celebrations – it’s about creating and preserving memories that last a lifetime. We want to make sure that our campaigns are where our consumers are – whether that’s online, in stores, or in the moments they share with their loved ones. Digital platforms will continue to be a major focus, especially as we see more and more consumers engaging with brands in these spaces. But we’re also investing in creating memorable, on-ground experiences that can bring our brand to life in a way that feels personal and engaging. Our budget reflects this dual focus – ensuring we’re present across all the right touch points while also delivering the kind of emotional, memorable experiences that our consumers expect from Cadbury Celebrations.

Looking ahead, are there any future initiatives in the pipeline that will continue to leverage technology to deepen the emotional connection with your consumers?

Looking forward, we’re incredibly excited about the possibilities that technology offers in deepening our connection with consumers. We’re always exploring new ways to integrate technology like AI and AR into our campaigns, not just for the sake of innovation, but to create experiences that resonate on a deeper emotional level and help us personalise@scale. Whether it’s through more personalized experiences, immersive storytelling, or new ways to celebrate those special moments, our goal remains the same – to make every interaction with Mondelez brands meaningful and memorable.