Easter is coming up, and for many people the holiday is synonymous with Cadbury Creme Eggs, the classic chocolate candies that are a staple of Easter baskets everywhere.
The Cadbury Eggs are known as much for their advertisements as much as their taste: in recent years, the company has held tryouts for an animal to become the year’s “Cadbury Bunny.”
Now, Cadbury has unveiled an inspiring winner for the 2023 contest: a one-eyed rescue cat named Crash!
According to a press release, 8-year-old Crash was rescued by Simply Cats after a devastating car accident, in which he lost his eye and was left severely injured.
However, he didn’t let his injury get him down: once he arrived at the shelter his “quirky, outgoing personality” shined through.
He became the resident shelter cat, and would delight visitors with his ability to do tricks like high-fives. “He reminds our community that every cat is worth saving,” his rescuers said.
Crash was so inspiring and so impressive with his tricks that they decided he would be perfect for this year’s annual “Cadbury Bunny Tryouts.”
The contest is based on the iconic and long-running candy ad which featured animals auditioning to be the new Cadbury Bunny:
The ad aired on TVs for 35 years unchanged, until Hershey, who produces Cadbury Creme Eggs in the US, decided to put a new spin on an old classic by holding a yearly contest to put a new animal (sporting bunny ears) into the ad.
For the fifth year of their Cadbury Bunny Tryouts, the company decided to make it a special “Rescue Pets Edition,” highlighting rescue animals across the country. Entries included dogs, cats, horses, sheep and even beavers.
Crash quickly proved to be a favorite. He made the 10 finalists — facing competition from cute critters like Ande the chinchilla and Ping Pong the duck — and ultimately prevailed in the final online vote.
Crash’s victory is historic in that he’s the first cat to win the Bunny Tryout contest. He will receive a $5,000 prize, plus $5,000 to a shelter of his choice, and of course be the star of this year’s “Clucking Bunny” commercial, which will premiere on March 25.
“We are jumping with joy to hear Crash is the next Cadbury Bunny but not surprised as he is always the center of attention in any room,” said Maddie Corey, Crash’s owner. “He’s been through so much over the past few years and we appreciate the love his friends, family and cat enthusiasts across the country have shown.”
“We can’t wait to see Crash take center stage for this year’s Cadbury Clucking Bunny Commercial and share his story with the world.”
“We’ve been on the edge of our seats waiting to see who America would choose as the 2023 Cadbury Bunny and after an impressive number of votes, we couldn’t be more excited to see Crash take home the coveted Bunny ears,” said Cam Bogie, Sr. Associate Brand Manager, Cadbury brand team.
“Big thank you to all the pets that entered this year’s special rescue Tryouts, and big congratulations to our winner Crash!”
READ MORE:
- One-eyed shelter cat warms hearts across the internet and finds his forever home
- Sweet video shows boy’s daily visit to “scary” one-eyed cat
- Therapy dog who visited nursing homes wins contest to be this year’s ‘Cadbury Bunny’
Last year’s winner was Annie Rose, an English Doodle from Cincinnati, Ohio, who serves as a therapy dog and brought joy to senior home residents by visiting them during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The contest is held in partnership with ASPCA, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the Cadbury brand made a $20,000 donation to support the organization.
Congratulations to Crash on becoming this year’s Cadbury Bunny! He’s showing that rescue cats, even ones with disabilities, can do anything.
Please share this heartwarming news! 😸❤️
