KitKat's Innovative Campaign Transforms Out-Of-Office Replies
During the bustling holiday season, when inboxes are flooded with Out-Of-Office (OOO) replies, KitKat has teamed up with Publicis Middle East to launch a groundbreaking campaign aimed at redefining how these mundane messages are perceived. The innovative campaign, dubbed
RE Auto Reply_Break, creatively turns the often ignored OOO replies into a fun and engaging brand experience.
This unique advertising concept utilizes Out-Of-Office auto replies as a platform for redeemable breaks with KitKat, offering recipients a delightful surprise amidst their standard work communications. By embedding redeemable promo codes within these playful replies, KitKat encourages users to take a break and enjoy a chocolate bar. The entire campaign creatively employs ASCII art, utilizing a monospaced font, ensuring that the designs seamlessly pass through firewalls and display perfectly across various platforms and themes, whether light or dark mode.
A Nostalgic Twist with Modern Appeal
The nostalgic use of keyboard characters harkens back to simpler times on the internet, making it relatable and enjoyable for users. Each OOO reply crafted by KitKat's team is unique, featuring whimsical and personalized scenarios that provide a delightful escape from the work routine. Scenarios range from quirky fishing trips and beach vacations to amusing tales of alien invasions and playful cat antics.
The campaign’s brilliance lies in its ability to utilize these automatic replies as an organic advertising channel. By sending out thousands of personalized replies, KitKat creates a viral-like effect where messages can be automatically forwarded and circulated, quietly transforming every OOO message into an ad—effectively generating buzz without additional cost to the brand.
Bana Salah, Creative Director at Publicis Middle East, highlights the innovative approach, stating, "We don't just find new ad placements; we discover media channels hidden in plain sight. These daily interactions, seen by employees worldwide, become a new avenue for advertising that feels personal and interactive."
The campaign is timed perfectly to coincide with the upcoming holiday season, aiming to prompt individuals to embrace the joy of taking breaks, with the added incentive of a sweet treat. The playful OOO messages are expected to not only engage the original recipients but also intrigue anyone they are forwarded to, creating a ripple effect across workplaces.
A Year-Round Strategy
While the campaign launches in December, its appeal is not limited to the holiday season. KitKat plans to keep this platform active, encouraging employees to log off throughout the year with auto replies that are genuinely entertaining and worth reading. The potential for ongoing engagement makes this strategy strategically brilliant, as it taps into the concept of breaks being essential, irrespective of the time of year.
As KitKat invites the region's workforce to enjoy their breaks, we can expect a delightful shift in how we perceive Out-Of-Office messages. The
RE Auto Reply_Break campaign brilliantly combines humor, nostalgia, and smart marketing, ensuring that KitKat remains at the forefront of consumers' minds while delivering a moment of joy to workers around the world.
To learn more about KitKat's innovative campaign and redeem your sweet treat, visit
Nestle's KitKat website.

