Ethical chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has made its TV debut by urging chocolate lovers, companies and retailers to join the fight against exploitation in the cocoa industry. 

Tony’s, who successfully secured £500,000 worth of Sky Media advertising inventory through the Sky Zero Footprint Fund, is using the campaign to underline its ethical credentials and purpose-led mission. The brand successfully won the Champions category, designed to help established brands spark national conversations around sustainability.

The spot, which was created by House of Oddities, was planned and delivered in partnership with Sky Media.  

The ad kick-starts a campaign that will roll out across paid, earned, owned, and experiential channels over the coming weeks, culminating in Tony’s biggest ever campaign to date.

The 30 second spot sees two women enjoying a casual night in sharing a bar of Tony's Chocolonely's milk chocolate. As they take a bite we see two big-haired 90's style wrestlers, (named Tony and X-Ploitation), battling it out in their living room. 

The wrestler X-Ploitation has been designed to be a physical representation of the cocoa industry’s darker side. Bringing to life the fact that cocoa farmers aren’t paid enough to earn a living income, with the three biggest issues facing the industry being poverty, child labour and deforestation. These issues are what Tony's is fighting against;  both in the wrestling ring and in the real world.

Nicola Matthews, Head of Marketing UK and Ireland at Tony’s Chocolonely, explained: “We’re incredibly proud of our first TV campaign and can’t wait for it to air this week. The wrestling concept is a powerful, unexpected, and entertaining way to bring the issue of exploitation in the cocoa industry to life."

Tony's worked with System1 to test and optimise the creative in the hope it will resonate with both existing fans and new audiences.

Matthews added: “Tony’s Chocolonely has been fighting exploitation in the global cocoa industry for 20 years. With our first-ever TV campaign, we want to show that being part of that change has never been simpler or more delicious. Simply, by choosing Tony’s, chocolate lovers can join our fight, bar by bar, bite by bite, to end exploitation in cocoa with us.”

Sachini Imbuldeniya, CEO of House of Oddities, added: “We’re beyond proud to step into the ring with Tony’s Chocolonely on their very first TV ad. We’ve taken our ‘90’s wrestling idea to the big screen to prove there’s Fight in Every Bite.”

She continued: “This campaign proves that light-hearted entertainment can drive change, and spotlights Tony’s mission to help end exploitation in the cocoa industry.”

Imbuldeniya believes that the fully integrated rollout across TV, experiential, social and earned media shows the depth of expertise at House of Oddities and cements the agency  as a’ true end-to-end, 360° agency.’ She added: “Bagging half a million pounds’ worth of media with Sky made a massive difference to Tony’s and the campaign, but the real win for us is tag-teaming with brave clients who are up for our batshit crazy ideas and believe that creativity has the power to make the world better.”

Tony’s is made with 100% traceable cocoa sourced through Tony’s Open Chain. The chocolate brand is a challenger brand in the truest sense of the word as it challenges unfair practices in that it challenges unfair practices to pay farmers a higher price over the long-term, supporting them in earning a living income. 

The brand also actively identifies and remediate child labour cases through the Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System, while making sure their cocoa is verified deforestation-free.

Fiona Ball, Group Director, Bigger Picture and Sustainability at Sky, added: “Tony’s Chocolonely is exactly the kind of brand the Sky Zero Footprint Fund exists to support – one with a bold mission, proven impact and a powerful story to tell. By using the scale, trust and cultural impact of TV, this campaign aims to inspire people to think differently about the chocolate they buy and the positive change they can be part of.” 

The debut TV spot forms part of the biggest 360° campaign Tony’s have ever run, spanning TV, social, digital, experiential, and PR. 

Production was developed by Common People Studios and directed by Mary-Sue Masson.