THG Studios takes Squashies advert to TV for first time

THG Studios has produced a new television advert for Swizzels' Squashies brand, marking the first time the creative platform has been adapted for TV.

Titled 'See the Squashies Side of Life', the advert aired on ITV1 and extends earlier social media work developed for the confectionery range in the first half of the year.

The campaign centres on everyday scenes featuring overly serious characters who are figuratively "squashed" into a lighter mood. The advert was shot across several locations, with visual effects and post-production completed in-house.

Its release comes as food and drink advertisers continue to adjust campaigns to rules covering products high in fat, salt and sugar, known as HFSS. In confectionery, those restrictions have affected both creative execution and media planning, particularly around whether products can be shown and when adverts can be scheduled.

According to THG Studios, the Squashies campaign was designed so the brand's identity could be conveyed both with and without the product appearing on screen. That approach also informed decisions on pre- and post-watershed placements for different Squashies variants, depending on whether they complied with HFSS rules.

Creative approach

The television campaign builds on social-first ads previously created by THG Studios for the Squashies range. The move to TV gives Swizzels a broader platform for a concept built around the tactile quality of the sweet and the brand's established light-hearted positioning.

Rob Sanderson described the TV launch as an example of how the idea translated beyond digital channels. "Squashies has always been about not taking life too seriously, and this campaign proves that idea travels brilliantly from social straight onto the biggest screen in the house. Taking a creative platform this playful onto TV for the first time is exactly the kind of work we love making at THG Studios, and doing it in a way that stays true to the brand while squarely on the right side of today's HFSS rules made it even more rewarding," said Sanderson, Group Creative Director, THG Studios.

Lawrence Alcock, who worked on the creative, linked the advert's central device to how consumers physically interact with the product.

"At one point or another, anyone who's ever been partial to Squashies sweets will have put one between their thumb and four fingers and given it a good squash. In fact, it's difficult to get through a packet without squashing at least one or two of them. It's a feeling of satisfaction, a moment of ASMR delight. Imagine being able to do this to the most annoying, uptight people in everyday situations. That same satisfaction for just a few seconds: giving them a gentle squash and helping them see the 'Squashies side of life'," said Alcock.

Brand growth

For Swizzels, the advert is part of a broader effort to raise awareness of the Squashies brand as it expands. The campaign keeps the focus on humour and texture, two elements the brand sees as central to the product's appeal.

Clare Lynch said the objective was to reflect the tone of the brand while translating its physical qualities into a visual idea for television. "In this new commercial, we wanted to capture the fun, feel-good nature of the Squashies brand and the unique soft texture, 'squashing' a world that can take itself a little too seriously. THG Studios has brought this vision to life, and their creative, agile approach means we have a playful, engaging advert that perfectly encapsulates Squashies while raising awareness of the brand as it continues to grow," said Lynch, Senior Brand Manager, Swizzels.

The work also highlights how creative agencies and brand teams are navigating tighter advertising rules without abandoning distinctive brand assets. For confectionery makers, that increasingly means using character, mood and recognisable product traits in ways that still work when direct product depiction is limited.

In this case, the "squash" motif gives Squashies a visual shorthand that can carry across formats and media placements. That flexibility is likely to prove valuable as marketers continue adapting campaigns to a regulatory environment that places more scrutiny on how less healthy foods are promoted.

The advert was filmed by THG Studios across multiple locations before returning for visual effects and post-production.