I like to Chewit Chewit

Anytime I pick up a pack of Chewits I think of the absolute banger of an ad they created when they remade Reel 2 Reel’s “I like to move it” into a childhood fave.

Chewits first introduced a mascot in 1976, The Muncher, a fierce Monster wreaking havoc that can only be tamed by tasting the fruity chewiness of Chewits.

But the ads featuring The Muncher looked like scenes from a Godzilla movie which weren’t very kid-friendly, and if aired today may even come with a parental guidance warning.

So, to achieve their ambition to position themselves as the sweets brand that’s “owned” by kids, at the turn of the century Chewits transformed The Muncher into Chewitsaurus; a cool, fun and wacky 2D animated dinosaur that’s loved by kids of all ages.

With the new mascot, the brand came with a fresh feel, tone and personality which paved the way for Chewits’ new communications approach.

Chewits launched their new mascot, Chewitsaurus, in the energetic and pumping “I like to Chewit” ad campaign.

The ad taps into the new sound of popular culture which injected Chewits into the world of their new generation kids and tweens target audience.

The ad was fun and exciting as it showed the irresistibility of Chewits fuelling imagination, party, and madness with the friendly beast. We see beaming smiles and hear cheeky laughter rather than the screams and dramatic music from their previous ads.

The campaign approach was way more entertaining and made the brand feel like it’s made for kids, by kids - exactly the direction Chewits intended to head in. But the reason why the ad became iconic is that Chewits embraced popular cultural trends.

Music, arts, and dance were seeing massive cultural shifts as it became more influenced by our very own British BAME communities and the import of culture from overseas.

The 90s saw a surge in the popularity of reggae-pop and dancehall. I’m sure we remember the hit ‘It Wasn't Me’ by Shaggy which released in the same year as the ad.

The sound and aesthetic of popular culture became more diverse, and Chewits jumped at it and perfectly timed a culturally relevant execution which was bound to be a hit.

The remake of Reel 2 Reel “I like to move it” into “I like to Chewits” was a great way to position Chewits as the sweet brand that ‘got it’ and connected with kids of all ages in their modern cultural world.

The execution was great. Chewits took the sound of the charts and created a massive brand asset so kids could become their own walking ads.

I remember being at school and choosing the Chewits advert as the song of choice during Friday golden time. It became part of the language for kids and tweens in the UK which is brand gold.

Looking back to the ad now, I love everything from the exaggerated grins from the 2D animated kids down to the voice over sounds like the DJ hosts on every mixtape that was played at home.

Needless to say, the advert created a banger in its own right and managed to have the Chewits’ name on the tongues of every crazy snotty kid (like me) annoying their parents.

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By Arif Miah, Creative Strategy Director.