Cadbury & Age UK Case Study

Cadbury needed to raise awareness of loneliness among older people in the UK, and turn its generosity platform into something the public could actively join.

The challenge was clear: 1.4 million older people struggle with loneliness, and 225,000 often go a whole week without speaking to anyone.

Cadbury removed the words from its iconic Dairy Milk bar, with 30p from every wordless bar sold going to Age UK. The idea turned one of Britain’s most familiar products into a national invitation to reconnect.

1.2bn Media impressions

990k+ People donated their words

8m Followers reached through Joe Sugg’s wordless vlog

30p Donated to Age UK from every wordless bar sold

Cadbury Donate Your Words campaign image

Donate Your Words showed how a brand with a deep place in British culture could turn awareness into participation.

It gave people a simple, human action to take, and made everyday conversation feel valuable again.

The campaign expanded across TV, PR, social and influencer activity.

Gogglebox brought the issue into living rooms across the country, Sue Perkins highlighted the experience of isolation by going without human contact, and Joe Sugg took the idea to a huge online audience.

National coverage included The Sun, Channel 4, Sky, BBC Radio 5 Live, Daily Mail, Metro, The Huffington Post, The Scotsman, Daily Mirror, Yahoo, Good Housekeeping and more.