When London sneezes, Cheeky Panda wants to be the first to say ‘bless you’. The UK’s No.2 branded tissue brand, is bringing a little softness to the capital this autumn with ‘BLESS YOU, LONDON’, a new out-of-home (OOH) campaign that puts a playful spin on the everyday moments that make tissues an essential part of life. Its ambition is simple: when London sneezes, think Cheeky Panda.
Developed entirely in-house, from the creative idea through to marketing strategy, the campaign sees Colin the Panda, Cheeky Panda’s official brand mascot, on hand with a box of bamboo facial tissues and a simple message for the capital: BLESS YOU, LONDON. The campaign celebrates one of winter’s smallest but loveliest human moments: someone sneezes, someone says ‘bless you’ (even on the tube), and a tissue appears just when it’s needed.
It’s a deliberately uncomplicated idea rooted in a universal human behaviour. Someone sneezes, someone says ‘bless you’, and a tissue is passed across. By turning this familiar moment of everyday kindness into a distinctive brand cue, Cheeky Panda is looking to build mental availability at the very moment its product is needed – making the connection between a sneeze and the brand feel as natural as the gesture itself.
Live across London for one month this autumn, the campaign will appear across six-sheet and 48-sheet posters, alongside lift and escalator panels. The creative brings together bold, confident messaging, Colin’s instantly recognisable character and the product itself, creating a warm, memorable presence in the places people live, work and travel.
The OOH activity forms part of a wider, integrated campaign, supported by social content, sampling and the launch of a consumer ‘Snot-line’, giving people a playful new way to engage with the brand through their cold and flu queries. Together, the activity is designed to move beyond simply putting the product in front of consumers, building familiarity, encouraging trial and giving people more reasons to remember Cheeky Panda when sneeze season strikes.
Julie Chen, Co-founder and CEO of Cheeky Panda commented:
“Becoming the UK’s No.2 branded tissue is something we’re incredibly proud of, but we are still the challenger, and we want to keep growing with the warmth, humour and personality that make Cheeky Panda different. We wanted to take a moment everyone recognises and gives it a Cheeky Panda twist. It’s simple, warm and a little bit cheeky, just like our brand. We want people to see Colin, smile, remember us and, when they next reach for a tissue, think of Cheeky Panda.”