tonies® - building the creative kitchen

01. The First Dish: The 2022 TVC & Brand Repositioning

The Challenge: At the time, tonies was still relatively unknown in the UK. Parents who encountered the brand often struggled to quickly understand what the Toniebox actually was and how it could fit into their family's daily life. The TVC needed to do two jobs at once – build awareness and clearly communicate the product's breadth of use, while speaking to both the child's experience and the parent's very real pain points.

The Thinking: The product had real magic. Parents just needed to see it in their world – chaotic mornings, restless bedtimes, the in-between moments where a screen would normally fill the gap. The TVC needed to feel warm, real and joyful without being saccharine. And it needed to land the message fast, in a way that was instantly familiar.

The Work: We used a well-known children's song that families already had a relationship with – creating a catchy, recognisable ad that showcased the Toniebox across multiple daily use cases. The child using it independently. The parent getting a moment's peace.

The Result: Came 5th in the UK public's most-liked TV ads that month. It set the tone for everything that followed.

Toniebox - Showcasing it’s value

Christmas 2023 creative

We developed a campaign that addressed both the business challenges and customer pain points by positioning the Toniebox as a joyful, educational, and screen-free gift that delivers lasting value. Understanding parents’ desire for maximum joy with minimal effort, I highlighted how the Toniebox fuels imagination, supports speech development, and provides endless entertainment. With the cost of living crisis in mind, we focused on demonstrating the Toniebox’s long-term worth, aiming to change perceptions of it as an expensive gift by showcasing its ability to enrich children's lives well beyond the holidays. This campaign connected emotionally with both prospective and existing customers, emphasizing the Toniebox as the perfect Christmas gift that fosters joy and growth.

Today with Tonies Podcast Tonie launch

I tackled the business challenge of improving customer retention for the UK market by addressing the pain points of our target audience. I identified that older children, who tend to outgrow content quickly, were leading to lower retention rates and less frequent repeat listens. Parents were also looking for screen-free, enriching entertainment for their kids in the chaotic morning routine. I recognized a significant opportunity to embed the new "Today with Tonies" podcast into families' morning habits, filling the "limbo time" between waking up and leaving for school. By positioning the podcast as a fun, educational, and independent listening experience—superior to TV or other podcasts—I created a strategy that emphasized the value of daily, easily accessible content that benefits both parents and kids. All the while, I led the execution of the launch campaign in record time, successfully meeting the tight deadline. This strategy aims to change behavior, embedding the podcast into the family’s morning routine, ultimately driving retention, daily usage, and increased purchases of Tonies.