Jet-Puffed ‘subversive snack ad’ follows M&Ms and Burger King’s lead

Kraft Heinz’s Jet-Puffed brand, via agency GUT Miami, has launched ’Love ‘Em to Death’, portraying marshmallows as eager for mistreatment. It’s memorable, and in-keeping with a spate of big brand snack subversion.

In a shift from its ‘Jet-Puffed Nation’ and stress-relief campaigns, Jet-Puffed’s has dived into edgier humour, putting its mascot through some turmoil - albeit ordeals he seems to rather embrace.

Todd Kaplan, chief marketing officer, North America at The Kraft Heinz Company says (in true ‘harsh but fair’ fashion) that marshmallows are “born to be melted, squished, skewered, dunked, and roasted - essentially suffering for your enjoyment”.

The new creative platform satirically depicts the happiness it brings the brand’s marshmallows as they are joyfully mistreated in a variety of ways on their fateful path to being eaten.

“For the first time ever, Jet Puffed has developed a roster of brand characters, each with their own unique name, personality, and preferred way to be painfully eaten, bringing a new level of creativity to this often commoditised category.”

With a presence on social media, the brand will showcase a variety of executions that will play upon each of their unique journeys and personalities, including a recent takeover of the Las Vegas Sphere.

Our take

‘Flirting with being off-putting’ is a counterintuitive genre in and of itself when it comes to snack foods. M&M’s self-sacrificial ads are perhaps the most analogous confectionery to Jet-Puffed’s efforts here, but we reckon the same theme spreads wider.

Burger King’s ‘The Moldy Whopper’ (INGO (Stockholm), DAVID Miami, Publicis) certainly qualifies. It divided the critics with its depiction of a Whopper decomposing over 30+ days to dramatise the removal of artificial preservatives.

Pot Noodle, meanwhile, tends to bring a distinct British rawness to its self-parodying ads. ‘The Ultimate Hole-Filling Meal’ (adam&eveDDB) is a standout, in which literal holes – including potholes and other random gaps – are filled unceremoniously, but playfully.

The weird thing is, it works. Case studies showed that the ‘Moldy Whopper’ generated billions of impressions and a 4% sales uplift. This seems to show that being memorable, rather than appetising, is paramount. 

But perhaps there’s also a bit of reverse psychology going on here. What do you reckon creatives? (let me know, tom@creativemoment.co).