KitKat urges phone addicts to pause for reflection

KitKat’s ‘Have a break’ strapline has typically accompanied amusing vignettes, but its recent ads lean into the luddite trend.

Dating back to 1957, KitKat’s iconic ‘Have a break’ message is enshrined in advertising lore, perfectly depicting the timeout the snack provides. It’s unsurprising then, that the phrase once again takes centre stage in its latest campaign, the twist being that it is now highlighting the excessive time people spend staring at screens.

Titled ‘KitKat phone break’ the campaign cleverly uses its iconic tagline without actually showing it by depicting relatable screen-time behaviour and urging people to put down their phones and pick up a KitKat instead.

Created by VML Czechia, the out-of-home campaign features eye-catching scenes where KitKat bars replace smartphones in everyday situations. From waiting for a bus to meeting a friend for a drink, to standing in a queue, the campaign underscores how often people reach for their phones during their free time instead of taking a proper break.

At the heart of the campaign is a 45-second ad, highlighting the excessive phone usage in daily life. The clip notes that "the average human being spends four hours a day with a bent neck, so they can squint into a small, shiny, rectangle."

KitKat then prompts users to take a break from their devices by replacing their phones with a KitKat bar, ending with the chocolate company's iconic slogan, "Have a break, have a KitKat".

The campaign emerged as the winning concept from a VML global internal pitch that attracted over 400 submissions.

“This campaign feels true to KitKat’s heritage of light-hearted marketing and helps the brand’s slogan, which has been a fixture for almost 70 years now, feel fresher than ever,” said Vojtěch Kubricht, marketing manager, KitKat Central and Eastern Europe.

Mauro Fardin, executive creative director at VML Prague, added: "Back in 1957, Donald Gilles created 'Have a break, have a KitKat' — a call to unwind. Little did he know that by 2025, we'd be a world glued to screens, struggling to take a proper break. Maybe now, more than ever, we need that reminder."

The campaign will run throughout April 2025 across outdoor advertising spaces, including billboards, subway stations, and print.

Our take

KitKat offers up a masterclass in messaging here because there is no messaging. Much like how British Airways’ tagline-and-logo-free campaign last year sidestepped distractions in order to bring viewers directly into the experience, KitKat, too, is focused on exploiting our Pavlovian triggers surrounding the brand.

The still images from the campaign are humorous at first glance, and work on their own as a smart bit of product placement, but the message behind the simple imagery is enhanced by a ‘penny drop’ moment when you remember the iconic tagline, and apply its relevance to the situations depicted.

The advert’s message is all the stronger for the fact that it doesn’t prescribe a ‘break’, it merely reveals a relatable truism we all sense in the modern world: that a break is needed.