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CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS
KitKat leverages its famous tagline and gives it a modern twist
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025
Campaign suggesting it’s time for modern consumers to ‘Take a Phone Break’ wins an Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025.
Confectionary brand KitKat and its creative agencies in the Czech Republic, VML Czechia and Mindshare CZ, have won an Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025 for a campaign titled ‘Phone Break’.
A scene from the Cannes-winning campaign. Photo: KitKat
The campaign is a modern twist on the famous ‘Have a Break, Have a KitKat’ tagline that made its debut in 1957 and brought acclaim to ad agency J. Walter Thompson and the tagline’s copywriter, Donald Gilles.
KitKat’s 2025 version of the venerable campaign pokes fun at how people take breaks today in our mobile phone-obsessed world – although, interestingly, the iconic tagline is not actually used.
Instead, it shows people in mundane everyday situations like standing in line, going for a drink with someone, or waiting for a bus. But instead of being on a phone in each scenario, they are engaging with a KitKat chocolate bar which has replaced the ubiquitous phone in their hands.
Campaign channels the iconic tagline
Comments the ad industry website Famous Campaigns: “The work cleverly channels the iconic tagline – without plastering it across the ads and taps into habits we all recognise. The result? A gentle roast of our collective screen addiction and a quiet nudge to put down the phone and pick up a KitKat instead.
“Science backs KitKat’s message: 91% of people feel better after going offline for two weeks. With screen time averaging nearly four hours a day, maybe it’s time to reach for chocolate, not tech.”
Outdoor Lions Jury President Keka Morelle, Chief Creative Officer for Latin America at Ogilvy, says of the creative: “[A] masterclass in outdoor. Without words or logos, it communicates a strong message through a beautifully crafted image. It captures the moment we’re living in, reinforces the brand’s concept, and immediately sparks reflection – holding up a mirror to our screen addiction.”
You can watch a YouTube video of the campaign here.
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