Perfectly imperfect
Some years ago, my business partner was working with a Canadian CMO of a global frozen food brand. They were filming a TV commercial – one of those heavily food-styled ads that has slo-mo chips being dunked in ketchup and the iconic stringy mozzarella cheese lift on a slice of pizza. Throughout the shoot, the CMO continually repeated the same line in pursuit of food enjoyment perfection: “Hey Chris, get the talent to eat and smile, eat and smile…” Easier said than done if you’ve ever shot a food commercial!
So, here’s the truth, no one looks good eating. Especially not on camera. Food is messy, human, unfiltered and when people try to do it elegantly, they usually end up looking like somewhere between desperately awkward and absurd. For years, food brands have either dodged this kind of shot or cleverly disguised it by using intelligent camera angles or by using kids (everyone loves kids eating…). But in a world where consumers are increasingly weary of perfection, something refreshingly honest has happened this year – Toblerone has actively embraced ugly!
Their latest TV ad doesn’t just acknowledge how difficult it is to eat the angular, iconic chocolate bar. It celebrates it – right the way down to the voice over at the end where the end line is delivered by someone speaking as if they have with a huge chunk of Toblerone in their mouth! The ad is a string of delightfully awkward attempts at breaking off a piece, biting into it and looking totally relaxed while doing either. The result? A deeply human, oddly comforting piece of communication. You can watch it here.
Rather than fight the product’s quirk, Toblerone turned it into the truth of the campaign: “It’s not easy to eat but it’s easy to love.”
It’s a simple idea, but it feels radical, an outlier amongst polished perfection. In today’s hyper-curated and manicured landscape, one that’s filtered through ring lights, retouching tools, and 12 takes of every TikTok post — we’re all living in a simulation of perfection. Instagram smiles. Pinterest homes. Influencers “just waking up” in full make up. Against this backdrop, the Toblerone ad feels like a very healthy dose of reality albeit done in a Wes Anderson kind of weirdness.
Why does this matter?
It might be the case that the cultural tide is turning. We’re seeing a growing hunger for authenticity, not just as a marketing tactic, but as a human response to the overload of artificiality. Gen Z in particular are adept at spotting anything that feels over-produced or inauthentic. Brands that present themselves as too polished, too perfect, or too detached from reality are increasingly finding themselves alienated from their audience.
The Toblerone ad works not just because it’s funny, but because it tells the truth. It’s product-led, self-aware, and rooted in observation — all without losing its charm or sense of craft. It doesn’t try to gloss over the imperfection. It owns it.
This is an important shift as for years, much of advertising has aspired to idealisation: the perfect meal, the perfect kitchen, the perfect family moment. But as we all know perfection is very subjective and often isn’t real. And in many cases, it’s not even desirable. It creates distance. Imperfection, on the other hand, is relatable. It feels alive. It builds emotional context.
The opportunity for brands
We’re not suggesting that every brand needs to start making lo-fidelity ads or show people fumbling with their products. But what we are suggesting is that by embracing the quirks and even the flaws and making them heroic can be powerful. This ad reeks of a great strategy for Toblerone. They did their diagnosis, they created a smart strategy and they executed the comms perfectly. The super intelligent thing about this ad is that it’s rooted in honesty.
Great communication often begins not with what a product aspires to be, but with what it really is. Toblerone is angular, oddly shaped, and difficult to eat. But it’s also beloved, nostalgic, and distinct. The magic lies in the intersection between these facets.
So maybe that old CMO had it half right. Eat and smile. But only if you’re willing to show the chocolate stuck to your teeth!
Words by James Acton