These Brazilian Candy Ads Are Undeniably Dark Yet Surprisingly Entertaining

Candy ads are supposed to be lighter fare, right? It’s candy. It’s supposed to be fun. And, one could argue that new work out of Wieden + Kennedy Brazil for Mondelez brand Lacta is fun but, wow, talk about a grim way to market chocolate. “Chocolate World” for the Lacta 5Star bar is a series of ads where this community of confection is under siege by a raft of cookies, cocoa and caramel, the three ingredients in the candy. All of the spots grab your attention pretty quickly and, despite their graphic nature and dark storylines, are compelling to watch—but be forewarned, this might not be the candy advertising you’re used to. In one ad, asteroids, in the form of delicious cookies, destroy everything in sight, resulting in rivers of caramel. [kickout id="1"] In another, an astronaut attempts to flee a massive baked boulder to no avail as a planet explodes into celestial caramel goodness. [kickout id="2"] And, in probably the most graphic spot in the set, a skier tries to outmaneuver an angry squirrel, only to have his head snipped by a tree before falling into a lake of caramel. [kickout id="3"] Each ad opens and closes with peppy and quirky music that somehow makes the ads seem much more innocuous than they perhaps are. Indeed, the animation from legendary Brazilian creative studio Lobo is stellar and, if dark comedy is your thing, then this campaign hits the mark in many ways. [kickout id="4"] [kickout id="5"] Regardless of your taste, there’s no denying that this campaign is entertaining, stands out among a sea of sweet treats that may not necessarily be willing to cross the line into the macabre—and could very well make a caramel splash in the south of France next June. CREDITS: Client: Mondelez Product: Lacta 5STAR Agency: Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo Executive Creative Director: Renato Simões, Eduardo Lima Head of Art: Bruno Oppido Copywriter: Rafael Melo Art Director: José Ferraz, Felipe Paiva RTV/Agency - Regiani Pettinelli, Rafael Messias Planner: Luana Azeredo, Lais Sangalo Account: Daniela Glicenstajn Elkis, Vinícius Lopes, Isabelle Garcia, Bianca Olmos Media: Alexandre Ugadin, Rachid Antun, Lais Folsta, Silvio Serpico Social Media/: Carolina Siper, Emily Rheded, Julia Garcia, Ana Veiga Client Approval: Natalie Delgado, Adriana Nogueira, Bruna Bertão Animation: LOBO Director: Mateus de Paula Santos & Nando Cohen Account Manager: Thaís Lopes, Márcia Guimarães CG Director: Maurício Löbel 3D Post Producer: Cintia Miura Storyboard & Animatic: Marcos Felix Llussá, Wilson F N Panassi, Tony Soares, Chan Tong Concepts: Marcos Felix Llussá, Wilson F N Panassi, Marcelo Souto, Fernanda Oliver, Alexandre Eschenbach, Márcio Guerra Modeling: Bruno Saber, Lucas Lira, Guto Sposito, Marcos Smirkoff, Leonardo Rezende, Felipe Bassi, Duda Rodrigues, Natan Zuanaci Textures: Bruno Saber, Lucas Lira, Natan Zuanaci, Marinho Silva Rigging: Flávio Castello, Alexandre Cabral, Felipe Gimenes 3D Animation: Stephanie Kajimoto, Daniel "Bahia" Figueirêdo, Victor Dinis, Raphael Vinicius Silva, Jorge Zagatto, Daniel Alvite Simulation: Lucas Stringhetti, Gabriel Tavolaro, Christye Lira Render: Marinho Silva, George Damiani Composition: Maurício Löbel Color Correction: Letícia Blanco 2D Animation: Felipe Silva, Estevão Santos, Dênis Milani Adriano Editor: Herbert Gondo Tachibana Producer: Priscila Conde Post Producer: Clara Morelli, Michelle Vinotti, Helena Jardim