Behind The Beans

The Challenge

Traditional communication of chocolate brands has focused on either flavour, fun, or Fairtrade. The subject of Tony’s ethical strategy, product uniqueness, and vibrant brand positioning called for all three. Their primary message is that we must be fairer to farmers, drive out child exploitation and forced labour in the cocoa supply chain, and expose the practices and rip-off rates that big manufacturers insist on. Tony's has put effort into ensuring that every bean can be traced to farmers who are properly paid and supported. They had used docu-style filming in West Africa to explain their mission, but it had little cut-through. We were set the challenge of finding a new creative direction.

The Solution

Tony’s insistence on knowing the identity of the farmers behind their beans made us realize we don’t know who’s behind most of what we consume. And we should, especially if the anonymity is being used by others to conceal harm. So, a powerful montage was assembled that starkly presents images of faceless farmers, slowly morphing into the reveal of the smiling faces of the workers Tony’s supports. The narration balances information with a gentle call to action—cheerful campaigning.