For more than three decades, the Cadbury Bunny has signaled that Easter and spring are just around the corner. For decades, the ads were simple. Put a bunch of adorable animals in bunny ears and call it a day.
But as Food & Wine reports, six years ago, Cadbury turned their long-standing ads on their heads by allowing any old furball to audition to be the next “bunny.” In 2019 and 2020, it went to two adorable pooches. In 2021, the title went to a frog. In 2022, it was back to a dog, and in 2023, it went to a one-eyed rescue cat named Crash. And now, the competition is back — but this time, everyone on social media will get a say on who wins the title too.
“Each spring, Cadbury puts the call out to pet owners looking to cast the next big star of its beloved Cadbury Bunny Tryouts ad spot,” a spokesperson for the company shared with Food & Wine via email. “This year, for the first time, Cadbury is hopping into the madness of March where furry friends can enter to compete in a bracket-style elimination tournament on Instagram.”
Entering is simple: Pet parents must follow @CadburyUSA on Instagram. Next, they must post a picture or video of their pet on their personal feed explaining why their fur ball (or slithering snake, scaly reptile, whatever) should be the 2024 Cadbury Bunny. Entrants must post from a public Instagram account and tag the Cadbury brand, as well as use #CadburyBunnyContest in their post.
Submissions are open now. As for what pet parents could walk away with, Cadbury explained that the winning pet will receive up to $7,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to star in its next commercial. Finalists will receive a little something as well. Those who make it through the first round (aka the “Crème Sixteen”) will each win $100. The next round (“A Litter of Eight”) will each receive $200. The next round (Final Fur) will receive $400, the final two will each receive $800, and out of those two, the winning animal will walk away with $5,500.
“The spring season is a special time for our Cadbury team, but the Cadbury Bunny Tryouts are perhaps the best part of all,” Natalie Shuntich, senior associate marketing manager, Cadbury, at The Hershey Company, shared. “The annual competition has evolved into a moment that consumers eagerly await, and it is an honor to engage with both Cadbury fans and pet lovers alike, making them a central part of our brand. Given the timing of the 2024 Easter season, a bracket approach was a natural way for us to bring the competition onto social media to engage a whole new audience of Cadbury fans.”
And, of course, it’s all about the nostalgia factor too.
“Many may remember the iconic commercial from their childhood featuring a bunny,” Shuntich said, “but through the past five years, we’ve seen the competition evolve to see three dogs, one frog, and a rescue cat gain their bunny ears.” So really, the sky’s the limit. Go ahead and submit your iguana, llama, your pony, or that adorable pet rock.
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Photo Credit: Trevor Sandford / Shutterstock.com