Cheese Dreams Come to Life in Wonderfully Weird Pilgrims Choice Ad

Cheese-loving consumers will soon see their dreams turned into advertising in a new integrated advertising campaign for Ornua UK-owned cheddar brand Pilgrims Choice, created by Above+Beyond.

The TV launch film, 'Charlie’s Dream', blends live performance, puppetry and CGI to recreate a consumer’s real dream, which was one of many dreams sourced from cheese lovers across the UK.  The ad kicks off 'Cheese Dreams', an integrated campaign for Pilgrims Choice, which is the UK’s number two branded cheddar. The strategy was inspired by research into the naturally occurring amino acids in cheese, which indicates that the idea of eating cheese at night leading to vivid, unusual dreams may be more than an old wives’ tale; and that a strong cheddar is more likely to have this effect.

The film shows a dreamer who finds their arms growing incredibly long until they are able to reach through the sky to a restaurant nestling in the clouds, which they then grab and put on their head, like a very strange helmet. Inside is a tiny pub, where a pirate whose beard is made from socks sits before a very cheesy feast – including a cheeseburger and cheese on toast that are both able to walk around.

The social and out-of-home campaign broke on 21 May, followed by TV at the beginning of June as part of a major push that also includes print and in-store promotions. For the social element, consumers will be invited to submit their own cheese-fuelled dreams for a chance to see them turned into animated GIFs.

Michael Harper, Marketing Director at Ornua UK, said: “This new campaign brings fun and excitement to the cheddar category, in a way that only a challenger brand can. By making the bold link between cheddar and dreams, Pilgrims Choice will earn a significant share of voice, not just in the category, but in culture. This is exactly the audience-led approach we were hoping for from Above+Beyond.”

David Billing, Chief Creative Officer at Above+Beyond, said: “For Pilgrims Choice, we have come up with a truly audience-in campaign, creating a cultural connection between the brand and cheese lovers. And it’s been an incredible thing, putting these weird stories generated by real people’s subconsciouses, not the pens of creatives, on screen. The passion and ingenuity put in by the team who have made the dream into a reality (of sorts!) really shines through in this stand-out film, which we can’t wait for audiences to see.” 

Along with the TV ad and other campaign assets, Above+Beyond has created a ‘making of’ film, showing how much work went into creating the sets, puppets and miniature pub.

Media for the campaign is by Yonder.