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When Mr Bean rocked a Snickers ad!

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JUN 17, 2024
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
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Snickers the chocolate and Mr Bean, the iconic comic figure, and oh yes, flying Ninja warriors. That hardly seems like a match made in advertising heaven, right? And yet the two came together to create one of the most fantastic chocolate ads of all time. It happened in 2014!
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Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
The ad was part of the "you are not you when you are hungry" ad campaign which had featured a number of celebrities. However, the inclusion of Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean character took it to another level. Although a legendary figure in comedy, Mr Bean had not been seen for a while - his last public appearance had been in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. He remained a very well-known and well-loved figure, particularly among children and youngsters, and even struck a nostalgic chord among older folk. In short, he was perfect for Snickers' target audience. And the ad was perfect too!
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
The 1-minute-long ad was directed by the legendary Daniel Kleinmann, known for directing the title sequences in James Bond films. It was based in ancient China and featured a group of warriors running silently thought the night, leaping over rooftops and avoiding attention as they proceed on a secret mission. One of them however, lags far behind, and stumbled and struggles. He is called Cheung, but he actually is the only non-Chinese in the group, Mr Bean.
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
As Mr Bean trails his team members, they ask him to focus and remember his training, Fat chance,. Cheung/ Mr Bean is a walking accident, in best Mr Bean tradition,.
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
It all seems set to end badly as Mr Bean falls right through a roof and ends up right in the midst of the enemy. Cue classic Mr Bean expressions of confusion.
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
Bean looks up at the hole in the roof through which he fell in and sees his friends. "Cheung, you lose ficus when you are hungry!" one of them shouts out to him. And now comes THE moment of the ad!
Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
"Eat a Snickers!" one of his friends advises him, throwing him a Snickers bar. A delighted Mr Bean eats the chocolate. And hey presto, he morphs into a Chinese warrior like his friends - the real Cheung! He executes a few martial arts tricks to evade the enemy, and leaps back onto the roof. "Better?" His friends ask. "Better!" Cheung replies.
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Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
This is followed by the campaign line "You are not you when you are hungry" and Snickers' tagline "Get some nuts." The ad was a rage and many still consider it to be the best of the campaign.
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Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
What made the ad special was not just the brilliant direction of Kleinmann and Rowan Atkinson's Bean-y acting, but the excellent choice of characters. Mr Bean, while universally loved, is seen as inept and clumsy, He is also lazy rather than energetic. The Snickers ad projected that a chomp of its chocolate would give you such a rush of energy that even someone as clumsy as Mr Bean could become a Ninja warrior. On the flip side, NOT eating Snickers could turn a Ninja warrior into Mr Bean. Hilariously cool!
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Nimish And Akriti (We Write)
Like many classic ads, this Snickers ad also ensured that it entertained viewers - advertisements are always intrusive, and have to be worthwhile for the viewer to see them. This one certainly was. You can see the entire ad here. https://youtu.be/qIVDxL2lgN4?s…
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