The challenge

For decades, KitKat’s iconic “Have a break, have a KitKat” slogan has been built around the simple human need to pause and recharge.

However, Nestlé and its creative agency VML questioned whether today’s young adults, particularly Gen Z, were truly taking meaningful breaks in an always-on world. The ambition was to uncover the role breaks play in people’s lives today and identify a fresh, globally relevant perspective for the brand to build on.

The solution

We combined deep human exploration with global validation to uncover and test a new perspective on breaks.

We started with a six-day online community involving Gen Z consumers across five markets: KSA, France, the UK, Brazil and India (n=80 in total). Through qualitative discussions and activities, we explored how young adults experience breaks, what prevents them from fully switching off and what makes a break meaningful.

The emerging insight was then validated through a survey with 1,500 consumers across the same markets, ensuring the finding was relevant and resonated across different cultural contexts.

Together, these approaches helped identify a universal human truth that could strengthen KitKat’s global brand positioning.

The impact

The research revealed a key tension: while most people believe they take enough breaks, only 34% feel they are enjoying high-quality breaks. Many struggle to truly disconnect due to busy schedules, distractions and the challenge of switching off.

This insight became the foundation for KitKat’s new global “Break Better” campaign, developed by VML. The campaign reframes breaks as a moment to genuinely reset, bringing KitKat’s iconic brand promise to life for a new generation.