M & Ms Valentine's Ad

We wanted to show how M & Ms, a candy mostly marketed to kids, can be more fun for consenting adults. Taking the standard M & Ms tag line — Melts in your mouth, not in your hands — we adapted it to a more suggestive, playful purpose.

Monique and I made the ad together in response to Assignment #4 — 'make an ad for the best romance item you ever received.' I wasn't sure if the ad needed a call to action at the bottom, a URL or logo, so I left it without.

I imagine the ad appearing in bus shelter / transit locations, or even magazines.

Problem Statement

M & Ms are marketed to children almost exclusively, yet are enjoyed and purchased by adults. A special occasion, like Valentine's Day, provides an excellent opportunity for reminding adults that M & Ms are fun, tasty candies to be enjoyed with those they love.

Client

Mars Snackfood US

Product

M & Ms

Goals

1. To show M & Ms beyond their standard target audience.
2. To show playful ways M & Ms' well-known tag line can be translated to broader meanings.
3. To open M & Ms brand to broader appeal.

Audience

Consenting adults with a sense of humor and fun.

Client Context

Valentine's Day is a consumer holiday to celebrate love and loved ones. Traditional gifts include chocolate and romantic items. With a simple twist, M & Ms can be both.

Promises

M & Ms can make your Valentine's Day more fun and sexy.

Proof

The image shows a trail of M & Ms strategically placed in the navel of a beautiful woman and uses the signature candies and their Ms to complete the words on the ad.

Character

Fun, sexy, healthy, indulgent and playful.

Extensions

Lots of opportunities exist for M & Ms looking to broaden their message. Urban legends of green M & Ms. Celebrity riders with specific (adult) M & M requests. Participatory contests with M & M enthusiasts showing how they love to eat their M & Ms.