Campaigns · Global · 2010
Snickers: You’re Not You When You’re Hungry
Betty White played a hungry footballer, and one simple insight became a global platform.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readBBDO New YorkCampaigns · Branding
- Brand
- Snickers
- Market
- Global
- Year
- 2010
- Category
- Campaigns
- Agency or team
- BBDO New York
- Channels
- TV, digital, outdoor
The context
Snickers was losing relevance with young men, its core market, and its advertising lacked a consistent idea.
Hunger changes behaviour.
The move
BBDO New York created a platform around hunger changing who you are. The Super Bowl launch showed Betty White in a football game, transformed back after a bite.
How it was executed
- Cast Betty White in a football game.
- Built a platform across markets.
- Kept one line.
Betty White played a hungry footballer, and one simple insight became a global platform.
What happened Reported facts
Mars reported global sales growth of 15.9% in the campaign’s first year, and the idea ran in dozens of countries for more than a decade.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
A universal insight travelled across countries.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01A universal insight travels.
- 02Celebrities work when they serve the idea.
- 03Build platforms, not one-off ads.
Indian brands can build platforms around universal insights.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Mars; BBDO. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Snickers.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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