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Le Whif

The Impact Agency was hired by the Paris based LaboGroup in March 2010 to launch Le Whif as an exciting new way of eating by breathing. In April 2009 LaboGroup had launched a prototype version of Le Whif, the world’s first breathable chocolate product, invented by Harvard University professor, David Edwards. Having been well received by the media and consumers following launches in France and the US, Impact’s remit was to launch an updated Le Whif product which featured biodegradeable packaging and a host of new flavours. The brief for the campaign was to introduce consumers to the idea of breathing their food. Four Le Whif flavours were to be launched to the UK - three Le Whif Chocolate flavours (plain, mint chocolate and raspberry chocolate) offering ‘the taste of chocolate without the calories’ and Le Whif Coffee which offers ‘the kick of coffee without the cup’. Launching initially in selected House of Fraser stores nationwide in May 2010 Le Whif would then be rolled out across a number of other leading department stores and online retailers at the end of the exclusivity period. With Le Whif being a brand new concept and the world first breathable food, getting the product into the hands of as many target media and consumers at launch was of paramount importance. The key was to both demonstrate how Le Whif works and convey the key benefits of the product. Prior to the launch the Impact team carried out a series of face to face media briefings and media drops in March and April 2010 to introduce and demonstrate Le Whif to the long lead monthly publications and shorter lead weekly titles. The aim here was to secure coverage in longer lead titles without the story breaking in the national press ahead of the official UK launch date. This was followed by a UK launch event at Sketch in London on 19th May to launch both Le Whif’s UK and in store availability. At the launch event Le Whif’s inventor Professor David Edwards introduced Le Whif to the short lead national media and Edwards was put forward for broadcast and print media interviews. Le Whif samples were also sent to key national newspaper and broadcast journalists on the day of the launch. The morning after the launch, coverage was achieved in the Daily Mail, the Times, the Sun and This Morning with further hits that week in the Daily Mirror, the Daily Star, the Evening Standard, Observer Magazine, Kiss FM, Galaxy FM and BBC 6Music. The Agency also set up Le Whif in-store demonstration and sampling days to support each department store at launch. The aim here was to demonstrate to consumers how to use Le Whif and the key features and benefits of the product. Free samples were given away to consumers along with money off coupons to encourage purchase. To support this activity media coverage was secured across a number of regional titles to drive consumers in-store on the demonstration days. Coverage included Wales on Sunday, Sunday Mercury (Birmingham), BBC Radio WM, The Sheffield Star, BBC Radio Solent, Reading Evening Post, Weekly News (Glasgow) and Urban Life (Manchester). Lifestyle coverage has included Reveal, Grazia, Zest, Real People, Asian Woman, DIVA, Eat In, Wedding Ideas, Wedding, Zoo, Nuts and Bizarre. Online coverage includes the likes of Handbag.com, Sky.com, Channel4Food, MSN Life & Style, Orange.co.uk and igizmo.co.uk. To date the Agency has generated over 70 pieces of coverage including national, regional, broadcast, consumer lifestyle and online media providing more than 144 million opportunities to see and hear the campaign.

Staff Profile: Steve Clarke