CLM BBDO

Client: MARS WRIGLEY
Product: SNICKERS
Title: #SNICKERSGATE
Media: SOCIAL MEDIA
Country: FRANCE
Date Of Campaign: 20/11/19

Background: Since 10 years Snickers has claimed that their bars are the most satisfying on the market. A promise that has been carried by the now famous tagline “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” But if this promise has often been illustrated, it has rarely been demonstrated. How can we prove then, that Snickers are indeed irreplaceable in case of hunger?

Idea: In France in November 2019, we imagined the consequences of hunger on the Snickers’ production teams in the real world. We replaced Snickers bars with Bounty bars, without touching the wrappers and before placing them at points of sale. Then we waited for the consumer’s reaction. 24 hours later, everyone demanded the return of their beloved Snickers on Twitter, thanks to the #SnickersGate. We revealed the hoax via a film posted on the conversation.

Results: Once finished, the operation had generated over 18 million social imprints and 275,000 interactions (source: Talkwalker). The brand tripled its rate of engagement for the period. And once the viral video reveal went public, the initial bad buzz was transformed into a veritable good buzz for the brand, with a 98% positive reaction rate on Twitter. (Source: Twitter France)As for the press, they didn’t take long with their praise for the campaign: “Nuttiness without actual nuts” said Vice, “Snickers’ most ambitious gag to date” Muse by Clio, “a memorable and disruptive prank” said Melty. And Mashable, “Snickers took its tagline to the next level.” We estimate that in total, up to 65 million people were reached by the operation in the media: as much in France as in other parts of the world – Germany, Poland, Italy, Austria, Japan, USA…