👻 Boo

This got past the censors? 😵

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With Halloween around the corner, the candy ads are out in full swing.

And M&M’s just dropped the best one I’ve seen in years (and next week, we’ll talk about how Airheads missed the mark 🎯)

You can watch the full M&M’s ad here.

The scene starts with our favorite animated M&M’s sitting on the couch watching a scary movie.

Our yellow guy is struggling to keep his eyes open while his buddy is screaming on the couch,

“Don’t go in there! Don’t go in there!”

Now, M&M’s had a choice to make at this exact moment in the ad.

There’s a classic horror movie trope of never revealing the monster.

Directors do this to build up suspense and tension…

Because it allows your imagination to run rampant – where whatever’s behind that door keeps getting worse in your mind.

Old filmmakers realized audiences could imagine horrors worse than they could show on screen.

M&M’s could have played it safe and left their audience wondering what an M&M’s worst nightmare could be.

But they didn’t.

Instead, they committed to the reveal (which in my opinion was a genius move 🧠).

The camera pans to the TV screen…

And lo’ and behold, here’s an M&M’s worst nightmare:

M&M cookies!!! 😱

Our yellow buddy reacts, “I can’t believe they’re allowed to show us this on TV.”

A humorous touch for us (but a complete horror show for those made of chocolate 🍫).

Again, you can watch the full ad in all its glory here.

This ad works because of its creative portrayal of a common horror movie reaction.

It’s no secret that lots of people struggle to make it through horror movies.

So when you see M&M’s characters scared of M&M cookies, it’s simultaneously darkly funny, unexpected, and brilliantly product-focused.

This is why M&M’s showing us the “monster” works here.

It gives you a humorous moment to relax at the absurdity of the situation.

The reveal itself IS the clever twist that makes the ad memorable.

So when you have a bold, creative idea, lean into the absurdity.

Great marketing doesn’t always play it safe.

P.S.

Next week, we’ll see what happens when a brand tries this same horror-comedy approach but misses the execution entirely.

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M&M’s taught us that bold creative choices create memorable ads.

This next ad shows that bold creative choices aren’t just about what you say … but where you say it.

Upgrade to premium to read it:

🤡 This brand is trolling ChatGPT