• by Karl Greenberg , Staff Writer, October 17, 2008

Brand champion!  Mark Addicks of General Mills showed how consumer insights about brand champioins lead to advertising direction.  Such as Saatchi's campaign for General Mills Fruit by the Foot, "How do you rip it?"

Or Yoplait's campaign that suggests you can have your cake and eat it too.  Or Lucky Charms "So each charm can have its story, with websites.  so it felt big." "This idea of knowing your brand champion is powerful." Also, Addicks showed the first new execution from Pillsbury that acknowleges the current uncertainty with a Wizard of Oz theme, where in a spot called "Home is calling."

A series of people -  a woman waiting on a street in the rain, a guy in an office, a girl in the  library,  worker at a factory and others dream of home and tap their heels three times.  Finally a girl does likewise and when she opens her eyes is looking at a basket of Pillsbury croissants.  "When you know your brand champion you know where your brand can go.  So the idea is there is a place called home; it's Pillsbury.