Skimming a stone gets epic in this candy ad

Fox's Sweets, a traditional boiled sweet candy brand beloved of generations in the U.K., aims to modernize its image with a charming new TV spot out this week.

The minute-long spot centers on a simple premise; a man skimming a stone into the sea as he walks along a chilly British beach with his partner and dog. His first attempt is disappointing. However, after taking a Fox's sweet, he ponders, what if everything lasted as long?  He then skims another stone, which heads out to sea on an epic journey; it crosses oceans and continents, passes boats and submarines, surprises penguins and ends up among whales, before it lands back at his feet.

The spot was created via Joint London and directed by Ben Gregor of Knucklehead. It plays on the fact that Fox's Sweets can be enjoyed for minutes (six, apparently) before they melt in your mouth. Joint won the Valeo Confectionary brand's account in November 2020. This is its debut campaign, which coincides with a packaging redesign also featured in the ad.

“The ‘Satisfyingly Long Lasting’ campaign uses a simple product benefit in really a fresh and fun way—there’s so much we plan to do with it,” said Joint's creative director and partner Algy Sharman in a statement. 

“We’re thrilled to be putting Fox’s back on the map, with a campaign insight that shows they’re more relevant than ever," added Russell Tanner, marketing director, Valeo Snackfood. "We’ve got big ambitions, we’re investing significantly in the brand and we can’t wait to see where the campaign can take the brand over the coming years.”