If Coke’s Unity Anthem ‘Hilltop’ Had a Cynical Sibling, It Would Be This Delightful Snickers Super Bowl Ad

Still taught in classes to this day, Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop” ad remains one of advertising’s most compelling beacons of marketing lighting up an otherwise boring world. If Coca-Cola created that ad today, it might look different, but not quite as cynically delicious as Snickers’ Super Bowl ad. “Hilltop” is the overachieving kid of the family, and #SnickersFixTheWorld is the sibling that skated by getting mostly Bs (with a few Cs peppered in for good measure) and managed to hide the weekend party thrown while the parents were away. In other words, it’s a glorious ad that fits right in with the joyfully snarky repertoire that the brand and its agency, BBDO New York, are known for. Clocking in at a little over a minute (there will be a 30-second spot in the game), some of the world’s most puzzling ills are put into musical relief. [kickout id="1"] Grown men riding scooters, mom sending naughty selfies, parents naming a child Kale, funky autocorrect, politics and privacy all get skewered in anthemic form. But where the comparisons to Coca-Cola’s classic get a little more apparent is the hundreds of people singing together as they walk toward a massive hole in the ground (this explains the teasers) intending to feed the earth a Snickers bar. Directed by Tom Kuntz, BBDO New York brought in talent from the wider network including AMV BBDO to take part in the fun. [kickout id="3"] Will chocolate, caramel, nougat and peanuts fix a cranky world’s problems? Probably not, but it’s a nice thought. There’s a fun payoff at the end that involves a selfie stick, and a welcome appearance from prolific character actor Luis Guzman. And don’t blink or you’ll miss cameos from actress Miranda Cosgrove, WWE star Charlotte Flair and delightfully loopy NBA icon Bill Walton. It’s a unique way to keep the momentum rolling on the brand’s iconic positioning, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry,” celebrating its 10th anniversary (has it been that long?) Additionally, it so happens that the Snickers brand has been around for 90 years. “This new ad marks the latest evolution of our award-winning ‘You’re Not You’ campaign,” said Josh Olken, brand director of Snickers. “Since the first Super Bowl spot 10 years ago, we’ve shown the power of Snickers to satisfy when you’re out of sorts. Our attempt to ‘fix the world’ is a new angle, and our biggest yet: When the world itself is out of sorts, maybe it just needs a Snickers.” Wouldn’t that be nice? And it sure will be interesting to see what happens with the digital extensions of the campaign, which includes some social action from some of the celebs who have participated in the campaign over the years. [kickout id="2"] The brand is out there now with #SnickersFixTheWorld, and it’s highly likely that most people will get the joke while others will continue to be miserable—nothing a Snickers bar can't fix. For all the latest Super Bowl advertising news—who’s in, who’s out, teasers, full ads and more—check out Adweek’s Super Bowl 2020 Ad Tracker. And join us on the evening of Feb. 2 for the best in-game coverage of the commercials anywhere. CREDITS: "Snickers Fixes The World” Client: Mars Chocolate North America Tanya Berman: VP of Marketing Josh Olken: Brand Director, SNICKERS® Brand Martin Terwilliger Sr.: Brand Manager, SNICKERS® Brand Michael Italia: Head of Social Media & Digital Content at the Hive Seth Dager: Head of Social Creative at the Hive Betsy Magilnick: Social Media Strategist at the Hive Rankin Carroll: Global VP, Chocolate Category BU Dale Green: Global Brand Director, SNICKERS®/ Bars Creative Agency: BBDO David Lubars: Chief Creative Officer - BBDO Worldwide Greg Hahn: Chief Creative Officer - BBDO New York Alex Grieve: Chief Creative Officer - AMV BBDO Scott Mahoney: Creative Director/Writer - BBDO New York Dan Oliva: Creative Director/Art Director - BBDO New York Alan Wilson: Writer - AMV BBDO Diccon Driver: Art Director - AMV BBDO Charlotte Adorjan: Creative Director - AMV BBDO Matt Swinburne: Creative Director - AMV BBDO Gianfranco Arena: Executive Creative Director - BBDO New York Peter Kain: Executive Creative Director - BBDO New York Larissa Magera: Copywriter - BBDO New York Morgan Hoff: Art Director - BBDO New York David Rolfe: EVP, Director of Integrated Production - BBDO New York Amy Wertheimer: EVP, Group Executive Producer - BBDO New York Sarah Knowlton: Associate Producer - BBDO New York Julia Millison: Music Producer - BBDO New York Melissa Chester: Music Producer - BBDO New York Paul Cisco: Business Manager - BBDO New York Kirsten Flanik: CEO & President, BBDO New York Susannah Keller: EVP, Global Business Leader, Mars - BBDO New York Lisa Piliguian: EVP, Senior Account Director - BBDO New York Tani Corbacho: VP, Account Director – BBDO New York Elizabeth O'Connor: Account Manager - BBDO New York Jacob Plastina: Account Executive - BBDO New York Richard Moloney: Client Partner - AMV BBDO Luke Slater: Senior Account Director - AMV BBDO Philippa Field: Board Account Director - AMV BBDO Crystal Rix: Chief Marketing Officer - BBDO Worldwide Annemarie Norris: SVP, Group Director, Behavioral Planning. - BBDO New York Christina Stoddard: Group Planning Director - BBDO New York Brian Brydon: Comms Planning Director - BBDO New York Nicola Willison: Strategy Director AMV BBDO Talent Agency: The Marketing Arm Brad Sheehan: Celebrity Talent Acquisitions Production Company: MJZ Tom Kuntz: Director David Zander: President Eriks Krumins: Senior Executive Producer Emily Skinner: Producer Linus Sandgren: Director of Photography Brock Houghton: Production Designer Editorial: Mackenzie Cutler Gavin Cutler: Editor Pamela Petruski: Editor Megan Heard: Assistant Editor Gina Pagano: Executive Producer Mix: Heard City Keith Reynaud" Mixer Color: Company 3 Tim Masick: Colorist VFX: The Mill Phil Crowe: Creative Director Anastasia Von Rahl: Executive Producer Melanie Roy: Producer Bret Aros: Coordinator Dan Warom: 3D Lead Tim Crabtree: 2D Lead Kai Tsai: Assistant Remedy Huynh: Assistant Music: We Are Walker Sara Matarazzo: Senior Executive Producer Abbey Hendrix: Executive Producer Hispanic Agency: Third Ear Serge Flores: Executive Creative Director Rene Gardner: Senior Copywriter Javier Peraza: Senior Copywriter Rina Tiffer: Group Account Director Meredith McBroom: Senior Account Executive Michael McLaughlin: Senior Producer