BBDO New York, Zedd and Aloe Blacc Reimagine ‘The Candy Man’ for M&M’s

By Erik Oster 

BBDO New York teamed up with musicians Zedd and Aloe Blacc for a 60-second “Candyman” spot celebrating the 75h anniversary of Mars brand M&M’s.

For the spot Zedd and Blacc put a new spin on “The Candyman,” the song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley for the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which was performed by Sammy Davis Jr. and went on to become his only number one hit. The spot opens with the M&M mascots attempting to record their own version of the song, without much success. Fortunately, Zedd and Blacc arrive in the studio to lend a hand as a montage of M&M’s advertising over the years plays. The montage itself is a fun look back at the brand’s history and appropriate way to celebrate the anniversary. As a reinterpretation of a song already known and loved by many, the song can’t help but be a bit more divisive and some viewers may wonder why the brand didn’t just go with the original. Those who like the new version, however, can check out Zedd and Blacc’s full music video (see below). “Candyman” made its broadcast debut last night during  NBC’s The Voice, ahead of the actual anniversary this Thursday. 

 “I’m super excited to team up with Aloe to finally share our reimagined version of ‘Candyman.’ We were totally inspired to put a completely fresh spin on the song, which is already such a classic,” Zedd said in a statement.

I’m inspired by greats like Sammy Davis Jr., so I was really excited to revisit ‘The Candy Man” with Zedd and make it our own,” added Blacc. 

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