Cadbury’s ‘Memory’ Shares a Heartfelt Tale of Generosity and Connection

Created by VCCP, the latest ad highlights family bonds and the lasting impact of small, special acts of kindness

By Creative Salon

08 January 2025

Cadbury continues to build on its enduring ‘Generosity’ platform, 'There’s a Glass and a Half in Everyone', reinforcing its commitment to inspiring acts of kindness while highlighting how gifting chocolate can serve as a powerful gesture of kindness and connection.

Created in partnership with its global agency of record, VCCP, ‘Memory’ marks the seventh year of Cadbury’s generosity brand platform, a globally recognised campaign known for its heartfelt and emotional storytelling. The campaign continues to resonate with audiences by highlighting meaningful, relatable moments that celebrate the power of generosity whilst also challenging industry conventions by focusing on small, emotional moments rather than action-packed narratives.

Elise Burditt, senior marketing director at Cadbury, said: “At Cadbury, we believe that generosity has the power to bring people closer together. ‘Memory’ illustrates how even a small gesture, like gifting a bar of chocolate, can hold deep meaning and connect us in unexpected ways. We’re incredibly proud to continue to work with Alzheimer’s Research UK to support their vitally important work.”

The multi-award-winning campaign, which includes previous films such as ‘Mum’s Birthday’, ‘Fence’, ‘Bus’ has garnered widespread recognition, including winning D&AD pencils, British Arrows and effectiveness awards from the IPA, Marketing Week and The Marketing Society.

At the heart of the campaign is a 60 second film that tells a moving story of a daughter and her father written by Simon Connor, directed by acclaimed director Steve Rogers (who also directed previous Cadbury films ‘Garage’ and ‘Speakerphone’) and produced by Biscuit Filmworks.

Chris Birch & Jonathan Parker, executive creative directors at VCCP, added: “We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with Cadbury on “There’s a Glass and a Half in Everyone”. ‘Memory’ is a beautifully told tale that centres around, surprisingly, a long standing deceit. Yet it couldn’t be more generous. We hope people love it. The writing is straight from the heart."

The film opens with a daughter visiting her father at his home, a bar of Cadbury Wholenut chocolate in hand. Her father, living with dementia, smiles at the sight of the chocolate, recognising it as a gift his daughter has bought him since she was a child. In this moment, he doesn’t recognise her as his daughter. Instead, he begins to tell her how this ritual gifting always makes his wife laugh - because, as he proudly reveals, he’s always hated nuts.

The daughter can’t help but laugh, touched by the idea that her father has kept this secret for so long. As he looks at her earnestly, he asks her not to tell his 'daughter' - meaning her - about the secret, because "it makes her so happy" the daughter responds softly. "It does." She recognises the quiet generosity of her father’s long-held secret, something he’s kept hidden from her all these years, despite not always remembering who she is.

Hilary Evans-Newton, CEO at Alzheimer's Research UK, added: “We welcome this new ad from our partner, Cadbury, that tells a heartwarming story, featuring a father with dementia. With almost one million people living with dementia in the UK alone, it is great to see an iconic national brand representing people with dementia in such a sensitive and respectful way. We want to thank Cadbury for continuing to stand with Alzheimer’s Research UK for a cure.”

Cadbury is committed to telling inclusive stories rooted in human truths that are representative of the nation. To ensure the story’s accurate portrayal of people living with dementia, Cadbury consulted with specialists throughout the development of the film.

Cadbury has extended its partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, into 2025. The two organisations first joined together in 2024 to celebrate the role of Cadbury in the nation’s shared memories and to support the charity’s mission for a cure for dementia.

Nikhil Nicholas, Global Equity Lead, Cadbury, said, “It’s been an amazing journey, and we are very excited to launch our latest instalment of the generosity platform. This campaign is a continuation of our commitment to shining a spotlight on the really small everyday acts of generosity that are packed with emotion, bringing us closer to each other.”

‘Memory’ was brought to life with the help of VCCP’s global content production studio Girl&Bear with media led by Publicis Media and PR led by Ogilvy. The film will run across the UK throughout 2025, appearing on TV, VOD, YouTube, and in cinemas.