Tony’s Chocolonely

Tony’s Chocolonely exists to end slavery and child labour in the chocolate industry. For years, the brand relied on earned and owned media to share its mission, only using paid media when it could help drive meaningful awareness of the issues affecting cocoa production.

In 2021, Tony’s launched its first-ever UK paid media campaign, aiming to increase both brand awareness and understanding of modern slavery within the chocolate industry.

At the heart of the campaign was the Tony’s Chocolonely Edible Chocolate Billboard, a travelling activation that invited people to take a free full-size chocolate bar. Once all the bars had been taken, the billboard revealed the message:”There’s No Such Thing As Free Chocolate.”

The activation was supported by large-format banners, flyposting, roadside formats and retail media placements across London, Bristol and Manchester. Brand ambassadors engaged directly with consumers, helping explain Tony’s mission and highlighting the realities of slavery and child labour within cocoa supply chains.

The campaign reached 14.5 million adults across the UK and distributed more than 26,000 chocolate samples. Brand awareness increased significantly in key cities, while awareness of slavery within cocoa production also rose across campaign regions. The activity exceeded social viewing benchmarks and helped establish Tony’s Chocolonely as a credible challenger within the chocolate category, proving that purpose-led OOH can drive both awareness and meaningful action.