Despite radio listening often being a passive activity it can prove an effective channel for brands, especially when combined with other forms of media.

When listeners are exposed to radio advertising they are 52% more likely to include that brand name in their internet browsing, according to figures from Radiocentre. The figures also suggest radio advertising delivers a £7.70 revenue return on investment (ROI) for every £1 spent.

For radio to be most effective and cut through, it is essential for ads to “entertain and engage”.

This is why Weetabix has won this month’s most effective ad according to Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study, for its radio ad positioning the cereal as the solution to Britain’s woes.

‘The Weetabix Discovery’ ad, which launched in April 2024, begins by interrupting the airwaves with a spoof newsflash, declaring the “incredible discovery” that the nation’s decline is down to falling Weetabix consumption.

“We must get to work rebuilding Britain – bix-by-bix,” the voiceover insists, suggesting Weetabix should be delivered to everyone from pothole fixers to the football refs operating VAR.

The radio ad was part of £10m multi-channel campaign, spanning TV, digital, social and PR. The ad was billed as a “rallying cry to the nation” and taps into the brand’s long-running humorous tone.

The “light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek approach”, rooted in British culture makes the ad “uniquely enjoyable, engaging and distinctive,” according to Lynne Deason, Kantar’s head of creative excellence.

The Works study, which is produced in association with Marketing Week and the Advertising Association’s Trust Working Group, asks 750 consumers to give their thoughts on the top ads over the period, this time looking at radio ads.

The study also tracks facial expressions and eye movements, revealing how listeners respond in the moment.

Commercial radio continues to capture growing share of listeners

As the story unfolds, the ad sparks strong “in-the-moment reactions”, the study found.

The spoof news bulletin opening – “Listeners, we interrupt the airwaves to share an incredible discovery…” – delivered in an overly dramatic tone, grabs attention and keeps listeners hooked. Respondents described the opening as “very clear” and “engaging”.

“As with other types of ads, listeners don’t remember the detail of what they’ve heard, they remember the most enjoyable and involving elements, or the gist of it,” says Deason.

Therefore, to be effective, ads must link those moments back to the brand, a concept Kantar calls the “creative magnifier”.

Weetabix’s spot does this effectively, weaving the cereal into the narrative as the answer to Britain’s problems. This gave the cereal company a central role in the story, pushing branding into the top 6% of radio ads tested. When asked what stuck in their minds, listeners overwhelmingly recalled Weetabix.

How Weetabix sparked a national debate with ‘Beanz on Bix’

The ad also builds on the brand’s previous playful content, such as the viral Beans on Weetabix tweet, which won Marketing Week’s best campaign of 2021.

Using humour to comment on British life, The Weetabix Discovery mirrors this tone and positions the cereal as a light-hearted solution to everyday frustrations.

The closing line – ‘Have You Had Your Weetabix?’ – reinforces the brand’s long-running platform and taps into existing associations. Some 78% of listeners said the ad could only have come from Weetabix.

Crucially, the spot works both in isolation, extending campaign reach through radio, and as a reminder of the video version for those who have already seen it.