Dive Brief:
- Snickers is hoping to win over the Reeses of the U.S. with a new marketing campaign promoting its peanut butter-flavored snacks, according to a press release.
- A video spot takes inspiration from focus group testing as strangers are assembled to share their candid thoughts on Snickers’ products. The twist is that almost all of the participants are named Reese, with some variations in spelling, leading Snickers to declare “Reeses wants you to try Snickers Peanut Butter.”
- Actor-comedian Eric André directed the creative, which is running across YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok’s Pulse format and NBCUniversal. Through June 11, U.S. consumers with Reese in their name also have the chance to win a year’s supply of Snickers Peanut Butter by signing a pledge of support to the brand.
Dive Insight:
Mars-owned Snickers is taking a shot across the bow at the established leader in chocolate-and-peanut-butter confections by rallying support from real people named Reese. The effort ribbing Hershey rival Reese’s builds on a larger marketing push in support of Snickers’ new peanut butter lineup, which includes chocolate squares, bite-sized variants and ice cream bars.
Snickers in April debuted an ad, “Stuck,” that is part of its long-running platform centered on satisfying hunger. “Stuck” shows two climbers trapped by a rock in a canyon, echoing “127 Hours,” who ease the tensions of their perilous situation with Snickers Peanut Butter.
The latest spot takes a more fly-on-the-wall approach, tracking the reactions of focus group testers named Reese — or some variation of, such as Rhys or Reece — as they praise Snickers Peanut Butter for its flavor and texture. The Reeses belatedly realize they all share a name, with the exception of one participant, Greg, who is quickly booted from the group to provide a pop of awkward humor. A tongue-in-cheek caption notes that “Greg” is a paid actor, something Snickers’ lawyers made the brand disclose. BBDO New York is Snickers’ creative agency of record.
Snickers is extending the Reese-courting concept beyond advertising with the online pledge drive. The first 100 people with Reese in their first, middle or last name who sign the document, which is available on the brand’s website, will get special rewards while 25 randomly selected winners will receive a year’s supply of Snickers Peanut Butter.
Snickers cited survey data from Puratos that suggest 71% of consumers see texture as a deal-breaker when it comes to eating experiences. The Mars brand is underscoring its use of real creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanuts to win on the sensation front.
This positioning follows Reese’s getting flak from the grandson of the candy’s inventor earlier this year, who accused Hershey of worsening the product’s quality through the use of cheaper ingredients. Hershey has acknowledged the criticism and said it plans to shift back to its classic formulas beginning next year.
