Dr Oetker tours Baking Bus in family campaign with Helen Skelton and Liam Charles

Dr Oetker has launched a campaign called Helping Families Rise, which aims to get more families across the country baking together.

TV presenters Helen Skelton and Liam Charles are the faces of the campaign. It offers families free baking sessions while the brand’s teal Baking Bus travels around the UK.

The campaign is based on Dr Oetker research showing that 75% of families have never made a cake together, and only a third (29%) have decorated cakes together.

Asked what stops them baking, the majority of families surveyed (51%) said more free time would help them bake more often. A further 37% said simple family recipes would make them more likely to take part.

Under Helping Families Rise, Dr Oetker will give families ingredients, ideas and practical help so they can bake together more often.

Family Action partnership

The brand has teamed up with charity Family Action to run free community baking sessions at Family Action FOOD Clubs around the country, giving families the chance to get stuck in and find out how fun and rewarding baking together can be.

Ahead of the festive season, Dr Oetker is also sending out Halloween and Christmas-themed kits so families can keep baking at home.

Agency roles

Three agencies, Brazen, Zeal and WPP Media’s Wavemaker, worked with Dr Oetker to run the campaign in several locations across the UK.

Brazen looked after PR, including the partnership with Skelton, who joined families at one of Family Action’s free community baking classes.

Zeal created the overall campaign strategy and the Helping Families Rise platform. It chose Family Action as charity partner and developed the partnership, helped set up the community baking classes and the product distribution programme, and produced shopper marketing assets to link the initiative to consumers at the point of purchase.

Wavemaker’s full media plan, run with Mail Metro Media, included creating the Baking Bus, which is touring the country with free family baking classes hosted by Charles and Skelton. The bus has so far stopped in Plymouth, Hull and Bristol, and will end its tour in Leeds in November.

The campaign also features online recipe ideas so families can bake along at home, with influencers chosen to promote the cause on their own social channels as well as on Dr Oetker’s.

What they said

Dr Oetker’s head of marketing – cake, Jen Johnson, said: “We believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of baking – from trying something new and building confidence to sharing delicious treats and creating special moments together.

“Helping Families Rise is all about removing barriers to baking and inspiring more families across the UK to get involved. Through experiences that bring baking directly into communities, like our Baking Bus and partnerships such as our work with Family Action, we’re helping more families enjoy the confidence, creativity and connection that baking together can create.

“Baking is about so much more than the finished bake. It brings families together, helps children develop everyday numeracy skills, builds confidence and encourages creativity, and we’re proud to be helping more families experience those benefits.”

Family Action’s head of corporate partnerships, Alyse Roberts, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Dr Oetker and are incredibly grateful for their generosity and shared commitment to supporting families.

“Together, we’ll be delivering baking workshops across a number of our FOOD Clubs, giving families the opportunity to learn new baking skills while spending quality time together.”

WPP Media’s VP, sports & entertainment, Mark Brogan, said: “It’s been a huge honour to help bring a baking class on wheels to communities across the UK. Bringing the idea to communities across the UK has been a real team effort, and a testament to the collaboration between Dr Oetker and everyone involved. We’re incredibly proud to have helped make it happen.”