NESTLE | KIT KAT MAIL | 2009
The Day Chocolate Became Mail / NESTLE "KIT KAT MAIL"
Putting a chocolate bar straight into a mailbox. Who would have thought that could happen? But it did — and it became the day that idea won the Grand Prix at Cannes.
The problem
In Japan's fiercely competitive retail environment, Kit Kat needed a new distribution channel. At the same time, because "Kit Kat" sounds like the Japanese phrase "Kitto Katsu" (meaning "you will surely win"), the chocolate had naturally spread as a good-luck item among students taking exams, especially in Kyushu. JWT Japan noticed Japan's tradition of sending encouraging messages before exams. Post offices already had many touchpoints with students, from mailing applications to delivering acceptance notices, and Kit Kat was already loved as a good-luck charm for exam-takers. Connecting these two things felt like it could spark something.
The insight
So JWT Japan brought a proposal to Japan Post, which had just been privatized, to jointly develop an entirely new postal product. This was the first attempt of its kind in the history of the postal service. It was the moment chocolate stopped being a "product" and became a piece of "mail." Write a message of encouragement and the recipient's address on the package, stick on a stamp, drop it in a mailbox, and it goes straight to the student. The idea of mailing an edible good-luck charm changed everything. It was the moment a product's function went beyond itself and became a medium for carrying feelings.
The idea
Kit Kat Mail was sold at 20,000 post offices nationwide, creating a distribution channel with no competing products whatsoever. The package, decorated with cherry blossoms in full bloom, had space on the front to write a message, and on the back you could attach 140 yen worth of stamps and write the address, then mail it straight from a postbox or post office counter. Since its launch in 2009, it has drawn a huge response for its originality — letting family and friends write messages directly on the product and send it to students they wanted to support. The strength of the idea came from product design, distribution design, and communication design all working as one.
What happened
The campaign won the Grand Prix in the Media category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2009. It was the first time a Japanese company had won the Grand Prix in that category. Kit Kat Mail reportedly earned an estimated 11 million dollars' worth of free publicity, and Nestlé has continued it as a permanent product ever since. The fact that over 10 million "Kitto Katsu yo" (You will surely win) boxes have been sent says it all. It wasn't just a campaign — it became a culture.
Afterthought
From an age when advertising "bought" media to one where it "creates" media — this campaign feels like a symbol of that turning point. It was the moment a long-standing postal infrastructure, a beloved chocolate product, and Japan's unique exam culture were tied together by a single idea. The line "Exams have ended, but people still keep sending these wishing each other luck on all kinds of occasions" captures the essence of this campaign. More dazzling than the honor of the Media Grand Prix is the simple fact that it has woven itself into people's lives and kept going for over 15 years.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2009
