The Challenge
For decades, BIC has been one of the most iconic writing brands in the world. But among young adults, handwriting is declining and once students leave school, BIC gradually disappears from their daily lives. A brand once deeply embedded in youth culture had become purely functional, useful, but no longer part of conversations. At the same time, media consumption has shifted. Traditional campaigns struggle to break through, while PR-led stories (driven by culture, humor, and participation) are more likely to gain traction. April Fool’s Day has become a key moment for brands to generate buzz. But most stunts remain superficial, quickly forgotten, and rarely picked up by mainstream media. BIC saw an opportunity to turn a joke into a story worth telling.
The Solution
The idea was to create the worst pen BIC had ever made, to win back a generation that barely writes anymore, and let people decide if it deserved to exist. On Instagram, BIC introduced the KEBIC, a deliberately absurd hybrid between a pen and a kebab. Crude, unexpected and slightly ridiculous, the object was designed to provoke an immediate and emotional reaction, closer to internet culture than traditional advertising. But the real idea was to put the brand in a position of uncertainty. The product would only exist if people cared enough. By turning humour into a test of desire, BIC created an idea where the outcome was not predetermined, but decided by the audience.