In 2009, Snickers needed to be rejuvenated at the time of the brief. It was an iconic brand, but after years of advertising to a niche audience of teenage boys, it was no longer top of mind for many consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The task was to remind a broader audience that Snickers offered something for everyone, and the timeline was short: the brand wanted to introduce its new campaign during the 2010 Super Bowl\u2014just 4 months away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peter Kain & Gianfranco Arena at BBDO, New York, were one of several teams briefed on the assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peter Kain remembers, “We saw that Snickers had historically done well when positioned as a way to satisfy hunger between meals. Snickers is more substantial and filling than other candy bars, so this was a unique attribute they could own if we could find a new and fun way to communicate it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They thought about hunger and its effects on people\u2014how the lack of blood sugar can cause drastic, temporary personality changes, making people short-tempered, loopy, and confused\u2014and they realized there were many “symptoms” of being hungry. Peter says, “When we thought about how to dramatize those symptoms, it seemed funny to imagine them as celebrities with similar personality traits.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n