Cadbury 5 Star has partnered with Netflix's show Squid Game 2, ahead of its release on 26 December. To highlight the partnership, the brand has rolled out a film.

Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the film reinforces the brand's philosophy of 'Eat 5 Star, Do Nothing.' It transports the viewers into the world of Squid Game, where participants are tasked with finding a 5 Star chocolate featuring the symbols a circle, triangle, and square, which are iconic to the show. The contest was open to everyone in India, with the brand sharing clues about the chocolate's hidden location. Despite searching stores everywhere, all contestants but one failed to find the 'special pack'. The finale takes an unexpected turn when it is revealed that there was no 'special pack'—every 5 Star bar had the three symbols on it, a feature that has been present for years. The one contestant who found the symbols on the bar was lying at home and doing nothing, emphasising the brand's proposition of 'Eat 5 Star, Do Nothing.'

What we think about it: The film perfectly blends the thrill and excitement that the game offers and skilfully integrates the elements of the show. The unexpected turn highlighted the brand’s playful ethos, turning the contest into an engaging experience that resonated with both Squid Game fans and chocolate lovers, while increasing brand visibility.

Nitin Saini, vice president- marketing, Mondelez India, said, “Cadbury 5 Star is known for its irreverent and quirky approach to life’s pressure situations where we believe a lot of good can come out of doing nothing. Netflix’s Squid Game is set in a high-octane world full of surprises. We saw an exciting opportunity to bring the two worlds together and unlock a surprise for our consumers. We did this with a contest where people had to find the Cadbury 5 Star pack with Circles, Squares and Triangles. However, just like the show, our finale had the twist where all you had to do to win was ‘nothing’ since the packs always had these shapes on them. Proving that sometimes in life, to overcome a situation, a difficulty, or even a contest, all you must do is not take it too seriously.”

Sukesh Nayak, chief creative officer, Ogilvy India, said, "For years now, Cadbury 5 Star has been offering its unique 'do nothing' take on trending conversations about everything, from cryptocurrency to AI, so it was a natural fit to collaborate with a much-talked-about show like Squid Game. But what we created is anything but a straightforward contest. In keeping with 5 Star's counter-culture stance and unique humour, Karunasagar Sridharan (Ogilvy ECD) came up with an unexpected idea that completely flips the script on what it takes to win a contest, and the Ogilvy team partnered with Netflix to bring it to life in a big way. It's a game so simple that everyone from every part of India can participate in it, making it a massive contest open to the entire country."

The film was released on 22 December.