KitKat turned the everyday dash into a reminder to take a break

A dash usually connects two things, whether it appears between working hours, airport codes or the beginning and end of a journey. KitKat saw that small space as something else: a break hiding in plain sight.

Created by Courage for Nestlé Canada, the campaign replaces ordinary dashes with KitKat bars. Familiar combinations such as “9–5” and “YYZ–JFK” retain their meaning, but the red-wrapped chocolate bar sitting between them adds a second message.

The space between two things is where the break belongs.

A KitKat bar took the place of punctuation

The campaign is built around a simple visual similarity. Viewed horizontally, a KitKat bar resembles the dash people encounter throughout written language.

Courage turned that resemblance into a media idea by inserting the product wherever a dash would normally appear. The surrounding numbers, letters and abbreviations provide the context, while the bar completes the expression.

In “9–5,” the KitKat sits between the beginning and end of the working day. In “YYZ–JFK,” it separates two airport codes while suggesting that the journey between them offers time to pause.

The product does not need a lengthy explanation. Once viewers recognise what has been replaced, the meaning of the campaign becomes clear.

The dash became part of the break platform

“Have a break, have a KitKat” has connected the brand with moments of rest for decades. The new campaign does not replace that idea. It finds another visual expression for it.

A dash already represents a separation between two points. By replacing it with a KitKat, the campaign turns that separation into a literal product break.

The execution also uses the physical shape of the bar rather than relying only on the brand’s logo or slogan. Its long rectangular form fits naturally into the space occupied by the punctuation mark.

This creates an idea that feels closely connected to KitKat. Other products could appear between two numbers, but few would carry the same established meaning of taking a break.

The campaign appeared inside everyday movement

KitKat launched the work nationally across Canada through outdoor, digital, social and streaming placements, including Netflix.

The different executions placed the bar-shaped dash in contexts connected to commuting, working, sport and entertainment. These are moments when people regularly move from one activity to another and may be most likely to need a pause.

Outdoor placements allowed the idea to work at a glance. Viewers could recognise the expression, notice the unexpected KitKat and understand the message while passing a billboard or travelling through the city.

On digital and streaming platforms, the same device adapted to environments where numbers, schedules and ranges are already common. The campaign therefore placed its reminder within familiar information instead of interrupting people with a separate instruction.

One small symbol carried the entire idea

The campaign required very little copy because the dash performed several roles simultaneously. It was punctuation, the shape of the product and a representation of the pause KitKat has always encouraged.

That economy made the creative idea flexible enough to appear across different formats without losing its meaning. The words or numbers could change while the KitKat bar continued to communicate the same invitation.

Instead of inventing a new reason for people to take a break, KitKat found one inside a symbol they already see every day. The campaign suggested that breaks do not always need to be created. Sometimes, they are already sitting between one thing and the next.

Credits

KitKat Dash campaign, 2026. Brand KitKat. Client Nestlé Canada. Creative agency Courage, Canada. Founder and Co-Chief Creative Officer Joel Holtby. Nestlé Canada Chief Marketing Officer Tracey Cooke. The campaign launched nationally across outdoor, digital, social and streaming platforms, including Netflix.