Dive Brief:
- OEFY, the Mars-owned brand which includes Orbit, Extra, Freedent and Yida gums, launched a new global campaign, “Total Overthink of The Head,” that is part of Mars Snacking’s “Chew Good” platform, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The campaign reworks Bonnie Tyler’s ‘80s hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” to tackle moments where young people overthink and includes appearances by popular internet memes. The effort spans online video, social, out-of-home and omni-shopper channels.
- Developed in partnership with Omnicom and led by BBDO Chicago, the campaign represents the paid component of efforts that seek to build the brand with younger audiences and will also include earned, shared and owned media.
Dive Insight:
Mars’ OEFY brand, which brings together several of the food giant’s gum brands around the globe, is tapping into what press materials call “borrowed nostalgia,” a phenomenon where young people are engaging with and finding comfort in cultural icons from times before they were born. The brand’s new campaign reworks “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” a song from 1983 that has been a TV and film staple and often charts during eclipses.
A 90-second hero video reworks the lyrics to touch on moments where young people overthink, including weird sneezes in gym class, being left on read by a crush and not getting likes on social posts. The characters are comforted by memes including Galaxy Brain and Chill Guy, and the video climaxes with a “Hilltop”-like sing-along featuring the “this is fine” dog and Web 1.0 icon the Dancing Baby.
“We believe growth comes from building brands that earn their place in culture by showing up in ways that feel distinctive and connected,” said Mars Snacking Chief Brand Officer Rankin Carroll, in a statement. “... we’re creating a joined-up system of ideas with no dead ends, designed to travel across culture, channels and moments, and invite co-creation. It’s an insight led approach that helps us stay relevant at scale and build long term value amongst a discerning new generation of audiences to drive our future growth.”
The campaign positions OEFY gums as a part of a daily ritual that can break the spiral of overthinking that is spurred by the demands of daily life and online experiences. The effort extends a global brand platform Mars Snacking launched in 2024 that taps into consumer demand for mental wellness.
Mars Snacking will release a series of campaign extensions in 2026 that use a PESO model — short for paid, earned, shared and owned — to engage with consumers. “Total Overthink of The Head” represents the paid portion. Additional extensions developed with Adam&eve\TBWA include a “Chew Ratings” effort in OOH and a TikTok-first live experience called “Channel Your Inner Goat.”
Mars Snacking, formerly Mars Wrigley Confectionery, is the rebranded parent of Mars brands M&M’s, Snickers and Twix alongside brands including Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts that were part of Kellanova. Mars closed its $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova in December 2025.
