Mega M&Ms - Or Not
Wednesday, September 21st, 2005
Brand: Mega M&M’s
Execution: Television - :15 second spot
Link: Click Here - click on television in first frame and you will see 4 spots. The reviewed spot is lower right
Target: M&M lovers
Rating: ***
Reviewer: David
Description:
A twenty-something office worker looks up from his computer in his cubicle and picks up a giant M&M with two hands. He tosses the M&M in the air and opens his mouth as if to catch it in his mouth. The giant M&M comes down on his head, knocking him off his chair with a crash. The voiceover says “New Mega M&M’s - You wouldn’t want ‘em any bigger.” Then he repeats the stunt and knocks out the overhead light. The new Mega M&M’s packaging is shown at the end of the spot with the tagline “Perfectly Big”
What Works:
This is a great example of a concise, entertaining but effective spot that introduces a line extension. In fact, this quick fifteen second spot does a lot more work than most :30s.
Here is what works:
- Clear illustration of the extension concept - There is never a question in this spot about what Mars is doing to the M&M. The whole spot works to make you remember one single thing - “bigger”.
- Humor makes the brand message memorable - We remember that the new M&M is bigger because we’re imprinted with a picture of the Dilbert-esque office worker being knocked out by a ridiculously large M&M.
- Product is the Hero - There is little chance to forget the brand behind this spot because there is an M&M of one size or another in virtually every frame of this spot.
- Short is Sweet - This spot is fast-paced and concise. The brevity makes it more memorable.
As advertising, this spot is excellent. It entertains us without wasting our time, but it delivers a valuable message about a new product that is ownable and memorable.
What Doesn’t:
The tagline “Perfectly Big” is almost skipped over and seems unlikely to take hold.
The bigger problem with this spot, however, is in the new product itself. Mega M&M’s are larger than normal M&Ms but it is not at all clear that they are as large as anyone would want. The mega M&M’s are not even twice the size of normal M&M’s (Mars says they are on average 55% larger.) In fact, the spot sets up unrealistic expectations for Mega M&M’s which may cause a problem for Mars. This spot would have garnered at least 4 stars if the product hadn’t looked puzzlingly small after viewing the ad.
Branding Bottom Line:
A great M&M’s spot tempts us but the product doesn’t deliver.
