TMC
02-10-2023, 03:59 AM
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/09/business/burst-trendjacking-superbowl-mms-maya-rudolph.html
Benjamin Mullin
Reporting on media jargon
Mars Wrigley has “trendjacked” the controversy over “woke” M&M’s — a strategy that will make its 30-second Super Bowl commercial on Sunday all the more resonant.
Let’s back up: Last month, the Fox News host Tucker Carlson joined the chorus of conservative voices criticizing Mars Wrigley for giving its chocolate-y M&M mascots what they deemed a woke makeover.
The green M&M “spokescandy” (you know, the full-lipped one, in go-go boots, that even other M&M’s crave) was given comfortable sneakers to soothe its arches, a fashion choice that rankled Carlson.
But Mars Wrigley has parlayed the controversy into what amounts to free advertising for its new spokeswoman, Maya Rudolph.
Last month, M&M’s said on Twitter that it was “taking an indefinite pause from the spokescandies,” plugging Rudolph in a wooden corporate statement that was instantly skewered.
By trendjacking the furor over the so-called woke M&M’s, and generating scores of news stories, the candy maker managed to wring millions of dollars’ worth of promotion from journalists.
That attention will only amplify the company’s recent ad campaign featuring Rudolph, which will conclude during the Super Bowl broadcast on Sunday and probably cost a small fortune, given the roughly $7 million price tag for 30-second spots.
Despite declining audiences for traditional TV, the Super Bowl has endured as one of the last communal viewing experiences.
Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer of Mars Wrigley North America, said the company planned to bring back its talking M&M’s in a Super Bowl ad, confirming the recent tweets were part of an “integrated campaign.”
“We’re excited to come together with the rest of America and share the resolution of our campaign,” she said.
Stories about the M&M’s fracas are likely to result in more buzz, said Harlan Spotts, a marketing professor at Western New England University.
Spotts recalled a 2020 campaign in which Planters euthanized its monocled mascot, Mr. Peanut, only to replace him with an infant peanut in another ad during the Super Bowl.
“If you generate that interest ahead of the game,” Spotts said, “you get higher brand engagement during the game.”
Benjamin Mullin
Reporting on media jargon
Mars Wrigley has “trendjacked” the controversy over “woke” M&M’s — a strategy that will make its 30-second Super Bowl commercial on Sunday all the more resonant.
Let’s back up: Last month, the Fox News host Tucker Carlson joined the chorus of conservative voices criticizing Mars Wrigley for giving its chocolate-y M&M mascots what they deemed a woke makeover.
The green M&M “spokescandy” (you know, the full-lipped one, in go-go boots, that even other M&M’s crave) was given comfortable sneakers to soothe its arches, a fashion choice that rankled Carlson.
But Mars Wrigley has parlayed the controversy into what amounts to free advertising for its new spokeswoman, Maya Rudolph.
Last month, M&M’s said on Twitter that it was “taking an indefinite pause from the spokescandies,” plugging Rudolph in a wooden corporate statement that was instantly skewered.
By trendjacking the furor over the so-called woke M&M’s, and generating scores of news stories, the candy maker managed to wring millions of dollars’ worth of promotion from journalists.
That attention will only amplify the company’s recent ad campaign featuring Rudolph, which will conclude during the Super Bowl broadcast on Sunday and probably cost a small fortune, given the roughly $7 million price tag for 30-second spots.
Despite declining audiences for traditional TV, the Super Bowl has endured as one of the last communal viewing experiences.
Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer of Mars Wrigley North America, said the company planned to bring back its talking M&M’s in a Super Bowl ad, confirming the recent tweets were part of an “integrated campaign.”
“We’re excited to come together with the rest of America and share the resolution of our campaign,” she said.
Stories about the M&M’s fracas are likely to result in more buzz, said Harlan Spotts, a marketing professor at Western New England University.
Spotts recalled a 2020 campaign in which Planters euthanized its monocled mascot, Mr. Peanut, only to replace him with an infant peanut in another ad during the Super Bowl.
“If you generate that interest ahead of the game,” Spotts said, “you get higher brand engagement during the game.”