The flavored milk product brand declared September 16, National Bunny Ears Day and called on “bunny ear enthusiasts” to “prove their skill and mastery of the time-honored, photographic prank” with its Bunny-fier app, which enables users to place bunny ears over photos and share images with iPhone and iPod touch devices running iOS 5 or 6.
The brand, which is also known for its Nesquik Bunny character, asked fans to share their “bunny-fied” photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #NationalBunnyEarsDay.
“Just as Nesquik transforms milk into rich, chocolatey deliciousness, the Nesquik Bunny makes ordinary moments extraordinary by adding a little mischief and fun,” the brand says in a press release. “That’s why he encourages people to make his trademark bunny ears in photos with unsuspecting family and friends – and there’s no better time for this lighthearted prank than National Bunny Ears Day.”
Based on the number of mentions on each network, the initiative generated lackluster results overall. It did, however, include a post from celebrity chef Giada DeLaurentiis.
Nesquik said it would share some of the best pictures in its Breaking Out The Bunny photo gallery on Facebook. But, as of September 18, no such gallery had yet been created.
A Nesquik rep did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
The brand said it was celebrating National Bunny Ears Day “just in time to help parents and kids across the country fit in a little more summer fun before the official start of fall.”
In a prepared statement, Brand Manager Chad Patterson said, “Nesquik is all about bringing a little fun and lightheartedness into each day, as represented by the iconic Nesquik Bunny. So before summer officially ends next week, we want to give people everywhere one more chance to ‘Break out The Bunny’ and capture all the mischief.”
@NestleNesquik has 28,000 followers. Nestle Nesquik USA has 322,000 fans.
@NesquikLiveNYC, which has 433 followers and says, “Look out tweeps, my crew is in #NYC RIGHT NOW! It’s NESQUIK Live, and it’s on and hoppin’! #BunnyNYC You never know where we’ll be in NYC,” also tweeted about the initiative.
According to a press release, National Bunny Ears Day kicked off a multichannel marketing effort conceived by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather to introduce the brand to a new generation of families and “bring fun back to the everyday.”
The campaign had a soft launch in June in cinemas with a 60-second spot with the Nesquik Bunny and the tagline “Break out the Bunny.”