Cadbury 5 Star’s Squid Game Contest Proves Doing Nothing Wins

Earlier this month, Cadbury 5 Star partnered with Netflix’s Squid Game 2 to launch a unique and quirky contest in India. The contest was centered around the symbols that played a significant role in the popular Korean series—Circles, Triangles, and Squares—which appeared in everything from the games to the masks of the guards. The challenge for participants was to find Cadbury 5 Star packs featuring these symbols, but with a twist: all packs already contained these symbols.

To make it more engaging, Cadbury 5 Star distributed a limited number of packs and shared hints on social media to guide participants. The first person to find a pack featuring the three symbols and share a picture would win a grand prize of 4.56 million Korean Won. However, the real surprise came when Megha Madhvan, a lucky participant, noticed the symbols on a pack she already had at home. She sent in the picture and won the contest, proving that sometimes, doing nothing leads to the greatest rewards.

This surprising outcome perfectly aligned with the brand’s long-standing message: “Eat 5 Star, Do Nothing.” The campaign was all about embracing the simplicity of not overthinking or stressing over challenges. Speaking about the collaboration, Nitin Saini, VP of Marketing at Mondelez India, shared, “Cadbury 5 Star is known for its irreverent approach, believing that a lot of good can come from doing nothing. Netflix’s Squid Game is set in a high-stakes world, and we saw an exciting opportunity to bring both worlds together to unlock a surprise for our consumers.”

The twist in the contest—where participants only needed to spot the symbols, which were already present on the packs—reinforced the idea that sometimes in life, to overcome challenges, you don’t need to do anything at all. The simplicity and humor of the concept drew in many people and created widespread attention, making it a massive success.

Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy India, which handled the creative side of the campaign, added, “Cadbury 5 Star has always had a unique take on trending conversations, from cryptocurrency to AI, and collaborating with a show like Squid Game was a perfect fit. The campaign took a fresh approach to contests, flipping the script on how to win and making it so simple that anyone could participate.”

The partnership also stood out for its seamless integration across media platforms. Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Officer at Wavemaker India, emphasized how the combination of the Squid Game narrative and Cadbury 5 Star’s humor created a campaign that built momentum and sparked intrigue. By creating impactful touchpoints across key platforms, the campaign was as immersive and unmissable as the high-stakes game it referenced.

This clever marketing strategy proves that sometimes, the best way to win is to simply do nothing—and that’s exactly the message Cadbury 5 Star conveyed in their latest contest with Squid Game 2.