Mars Snackfoods Supports ‘Indy’ Film
Amy Johannes
Promo Magazine
April 29, 2008
Mars Snackfoods
U.S. is rolling out a campaign to support the latest
action adventure film, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of
the Crystal Skull.”
Limited-edition, movie-themed M&M’s and Snickers candy,
a themed Web site, print and TV advertising spots and a
NASCAR Indy-themed car will all hype the film.
Branded to the film are M&M’s latest flavor Mint Crisp
Chocolate Candies, which features a mint flavor with a
crispy center surrounded by an M&M’s candy shell.
Likewise, the Snickers Adventure Bar offers chocolate,
nougat, peanuts and a kick of spice and coconut flavor.
These limited edition flavors will be available through
June.
“Indiana Jones”-themed packaging will appear on M&M'S
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, M&M'S Ice Cream Cones and
Snickers Ice Cream Bars.
The campaign also includes an interactive component.
Visitors to http://www.mms.com can embark on quests of
their own. The site features online games where players
face precarious situations with, quicksand, snakes and
flaming doors. People can also watch the movie trailer
and download themed wallpaper.
Mars Snackfoods is also using its NASCAR sponsorship to
boost the film, which hits theaters May 22. Driver Kyle
Busch’s No. 18 M&M’s brand Toyota Camry will sport a
special “Indiana Jones” paint scheme. The paint scheme
features the movie title decals on the hood, trunk and
TV panel, an image of Indiana Jones on the left rear
panel and the M&M’s Red, Green and Yellow characters
sporting various movie-themed outfits. Busch himself
will wear a fire suit designed around the campaign
during the Dodge Challenger 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race
in Darlington, SC, on May 10.
The M&M’s racing team also plans to feature Indiana
Jones-style activities for people attending the
Darlington race.
TV spots, which launched air through May 25, show Red
and Yellow M&M’s characters participating in an quest to
save the M&M’s Mint Crisp candies. Red and Yellow,
swinging from ropes, plunge down a deep cavern into a
precarious situation, and find themselves face to face
with deadly snakes slithering around the treasured mint
crisps.
Print ads encourage people to find their fun side and
embrace their “Inner M” are part of the company’s
ongoing Inner M equity campaign. Movie-themed ads, which
launched last week in In Touch, Entertainment Weekly,
People Weekly, Rolling Stone, Star, TV Guide, USA
Weekend, US Weekly, Southern Living and Reader’s Digest,
show Indiana Jones’s adventurous side as he fends off
feisty cobras, mimicking the famous “Well of the Souls”
snake pit scene.
In the latest film, archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry
“Indiana” Jones is called back into action when he
becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret
behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.
BBDO handled the advertising, G2 Interactive was in
charge of the online components, Elevation oversaw the
NASCAR component and Weber Shandwick works on PR,
including the launch of M&M’s Mint Crisp Chocolate
candies and Snickers Adventure bar.