KitKat wins big by calling out screen addiction
By James Herring on Thursday, June 19, 2025
VML Czechia’s “Phone Break” campaign took the Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025, putting the Czech Republic on the Grand Prix map for the first time ever.
The creative?
Ridiculously simple: swap phones for KitKat bars in familiar public settings — waiting for a bus, standing in line or catching up with friends.
The work cleverly channels the iconic tagline – without plastering it across the ads and taps into habits we all recognise.
The result? A gentle roast of our collective screen addiction and a quiet nudge to put down the phone and pick up a KitKat instead.
Science backs KitKat’s message: 91% of people feel better after going offline for two weeks. With screen time averaging nearly 4 hours a day, maybe it’s time to reach for chocolate, not tech.
It’s a smart evolution on the “Have a Break” legacy. Originally penned by JWT’s Donald Gilles back in 1957, the line is now almost 70 years old.
“This campaign feels true to KitKat’s heritage of light-hearted marketing,” said Vojtěch Kubricht, KitKat’s Marketing Manager for Central & Eastern Europe.
Outdoor Lions Jury President Keka Morelle called it a “masterclass in Outdoor,” praising its minimalism and cultural relevance.
