Channel 4 covers the UK in cakes to celebrate the return of GBBO

A series of installations, TV ads, and digital cake-inspired weather reports are appearing across the country as our minds turn to baking with the return of the Great British Bake Off

The campaign is themed around the tagline ‘Life’s looking sweeter’ and includes the installation of a 78ft high show-stopper bake on Argyle Street in Glasgow, complete with a 23ft long fork.

Cakes abound elsewhere too, with digital screens in cities including Leeds, London, Glasgow and Manchester depicting the local weather conditions in real time via reports that feature a Bake Off twist.

A series of short films on TV and social media also see cakes popping up across the country, from coastal cliffs featuring a victoria sponge centre and a battenburg lorry on a busy motorway, to tractors lifting lamingtons and the construction of a mille-feuille tower block. Channel 4 has also created a bespoke AR lens that enables users on Snapchat and Instagram to have fun turning themselves into an array of bakes.

The show returned last night on Channel 4, and follows its biggest ever run on the channel last year, when a consolidated audience of 10.6 million viewers per episode tuned in to be soothed by its gentle tone and positive vibes.

This new campaign follows in the footsteps of previous ads that have focused on bringing the Bake Off cakes to life. “In years past Bake Off has served up some big fantasy ads – from singing cakes to Cookie Monsters and oven-ready miners,” says Lynsey Atkin, ECD, 4creative. “This year, rather than escaping our world completely, we wanted to merely improve it after a tough 12 months – with layers of buttercream and a collision of fun elements in typical DIY Bake Off style.”

Credits:
Agency: 4creative
ECD: Lynsey Atkin
Creative Directors: Chris Wood, Zoe Nash, Sali Horsey
Director: Robin Mahony
Director Social: James Henry