M&Ms Superbowl 2023
Turning Controversy into Culture
M&M’s 2023 Super Bowl campaign sparked global dialogue, letting the audience drive the story — and redefined brand engagement.
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This was more than a Super Bowl spot. It became a cultural flashpoint, generating billions of impressions and winning major industry awards.​
↓ See how we made it happen ↓
The Challenge
Mars Wrigley wanted M&M’s to be part of the Super Bowl conversation — not just with another splashy ad, but with cultural relevance.
Key Points:
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Reignite nostalgia around spokescandies.
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Reach diverse audiences with targeted, addressable content.
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Build momentum leading up to the Super Bowl moment.
Controversy as Catalyst
Instead of avoiding risk, we embraced it. Maya Rudolph “took over” the brand, renaming M&M’s Ma&Ya’s and launching clam-filled chocolates. The move provoked outrage, humor, and fierce defense of the spokescandies — exactly as planned.
Automation Meets Cultural Theater
We introduced Mars Wrigley to creative automation, scaling content across platforms and tailoring messages to diverse audiences. When Maya fell ill mid-production, our flexible framework allowed us to pivot seamlessly — keeping narrative continuity and delivering on time. The campaign exploded beyond paid media, becoming a cultural phenomenon.
Key Outcomes:
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Billions of impressions.
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Viral memes, debates, and online dialogue.
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Strengthened long-term Mars Wrigley partnership.
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Major global awards across Caples, Cannes, and The One Show.
My Role as Group Executive Producer
As Group Executive Producer, I was the connective tissue between clients, creative, and production — ensuring the campaign not only pushed boundaries but also delivered under immense pressure.
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Guided Mars Wrigley through their first automation-driven campaign.
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Designed the scalable narrative framework.
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Aligned creative, production, and procurement teams.
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Pivoted under production constraints to deliver on time.
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Helped the team embrace new creative tools and approaches.
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What I Learned
This campaign proved that controversy can be a catalyst. By letting the audience “own” the dialogue and by pushing Mars Wrigley into automation, we turned a Super Bowl ad into an award-winning cultural moment.
Key Outcomes:
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Billions of impressions.
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Viral memes, debates, and online dialogue.
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Strengthened long-term Mars Wrigley partnership.
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Major global awards across Caples, Cannes, and The One Show.