Sour Patch Kids takes a playful swipe at Oreo

We have all heard of how playful competitive advertising can be. In a real event, Sour Patch Kids turned a neighbouring brand’s billboard into part of its own campaign, with its candy characters appearing to tear apart an Oreo advertisement in the UK. 

The ‘Not As Sweet As They Look’ campaign, created by global creative agency VCCP, features candy characters in a series of billboards, including one that shows them physically tearing apart a neighbouring Oreo advertisement, literally blurring the lines between reality and fiction. 

Other executions feature the characters playing tug-of-war with one of their own and engaging in a game of tennis using a character’s head as the ball. 

The campaign stands out for turning a conventional billboard into a visual experience. By making the characters appear to interact with their surroundings, Sour Patch Kids creates an unexpected moment that can catch the attention of passersby and encourage social sharing. 

From an OOH perspective, this campaign shows how humour, three-dimensional effects and contextual creativity can make outdoor advertising fun, memorable and engaging. A brilliant showcase of how a brand, instead of competing for visibility, uses its surroundings to become part of the story.