Milk Tray Man Revealed, And He's a Firefighter

The search may be over, but the adventures are just beginning.

In case you haven't yet heard the news, the Cadbury's Milk Tray Man has been selected and Patrick McBride - a 39-year-old firefighter from Liverpool - takes the title after triumphing over 20,000 applications.

Family man McBride was nominated by his wife when the chocolate brand announced that it was bringing back its iconic hero to mark its 100th anniversary.

After submitting his application, McBride thought nothing of it but his caring, sensitive and adventurous personality shone through - while he notably modelled the black rollneck attire.

Fallon ECD Nick Bell speaks to shots about the trying process behind selecting the brand's future icon and why McBride was a clear winner.

What was it about Patrick that made you think he could follow in (previous Milk Tray Man) James Coombes’ footsteps? What were you looking for?

First and foremost, we were looking for a man off the street. This was a genuine search for a member of the public to become the new Milk Tray Man.

We wanted the winning applicant to have many of the same qualities the Milk Tray Man has always had – good looking, good physique etc. – but we also wanted him to be a modern man and to have a good story. We were very thorough and we’re very happy with the appointment we’ve made. 

Tell us a bit about the selection process... You saw over 20,000 castings. What did the Milk Tray hopefuls have to do? 

The website was open to applications for two months. The first stage was a straightforward submission of information. Those making it through to the second round were asked to submit a 60-second video pitch for the role. We received over 4,000 of these – some quite brilliant. Ultimately, we held a final casting of 37 and a final screen test of seven.

How, if at all, will you update the style of the new Milk Tray man spots to suit modern audiences?

We will definitely update the style. How will we do it? That would be telling! 

What pressures, if any, do you feel you have to meet? Especially considering the Milk Tray man’s now legendary status. 

Any pressures we feel are self-imposed. We didn’t want to settle for making a 30-second TV spot. We were much more ambitious than that and Cadbury have already, at this very early stage in the campaign, had a very good return on investment for that ambition. That ambition remains sky high as we enter the next phase of the project.

Can you tell us a bit more about the Milk Tray man… has he changed?

At this stage, there really is nothing more to tell. We have found our new hero and though he will retain some of the qualities of the Milk Tray Man we know, he will change for the better in other respects.

As the brand revives its most iconic character, how has the campaign managed to remain relevant for present audiences and avoid living in the past?

I think the public and media reaction we’ve already had speaks volumes for how the campaign remains relevant for present audiences. Just the announcement that we were bringing back the Milk Tray Man and that we were launching a nationwide search for a member of the public to play him has made the campaign – even at this early stage – one of the most hugely and positively PR’d ads in Cadbury history and, of course, we had over 20,000 applications for the role.

What we go on to do with the Milk Tray Man will be further proof that he does not have to live in the past.

McBride's first Milk Tray mission will take place later today when he will be secretly slip a box of chocolates to someone deserving. Tweet @CadburyUK between 9am-12pm today if you think you know someone who should get the delivery.