Comedy icon Mr Bean plays Kung Fu master in latest spot for Snickers via AMV BBDO, London
Mr Bean has made his first public appearance since the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in Mars Chocolate UK’s latest Snickers advertisement via AMV BBDO, London.
The advert is the latest instalment in the hugely popular “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign. Set in ancient China and filmed in the style of martial arts epics, Mr Bean is a Kung Fu Master who is not feeling his usual self until his hunger is relieved by a Snickers bar.
The 60-second commercial in Mandarin with English subtitles was introduced to the audience and premiered exclusively on ITV’s flagship channel during The X Factor as part of the broadcaster’s unique Proud to Present initiative. Ahead of the launch, ITV will air ten second teasers throughout the afternoon and evening to build viewers’ excitement and anticipation.
Says Michael Magee, VP of marketing at Mars Chocolate UK: “We are very proud of the creative work that has gone into bringing Mr Bean back to the small screen in this new “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” ad. Mr Bean is such an iconic and internationally recognisable character, who fits so well with the Snickers brand, giving this ad great global potential. We look forward to kicking off the next instalment of this campaign with a primetime slot this Saturday.”
As part of the launch, there will also be four exclusive Mr Bean Kung Fu training sketches available through Snickers’ social channels and a Snickers takeover of The X Factor app using ITV’s innovative ad format, Ad Sync. A 60 second spot will also be shown in cinemas across the UK in the lead up to the Christmas season.
This latest commercial, Rowan Atkinson’s first ad appearance since the 1990s, builds on the success of the ‘Locker Room’ Snickers spot, which launched in 2012 starring Joan Collins and Stephanie Beacham. The Joan Collins ‘Diva’ ad was the most recognised ad in the UK in 2013[1].
[1] Source: Nielsen TV Brand Effect.
Project: Mr Bean Kung Fu
Client name & job title: Matt Boulter, Snickers Brand Director, Mars Chocolate UK
Creative Agency: AMV BBDO Ltd
Executive Creative Directors: Adrian Rossi and Alex Grieve
Copywriter: Richard McGrann
Art Director: Andy Clough
Agency Planner: Will Whalley
Agency Account Man: Katy Davis, Dhane Scotti, Chloe Harding, Anna Ohrling
TV Producer: Rebecca Scharf and Nikki Holbrow
Production Company: Rattling Stick
Director: Daniel Kleinman
Production Co. Producer: Johnnie Frankel
Post-production Company: Framestore
Audio Post-production: Jungle
Chief Sound Engineer: Owen Griffiths
Film Editor: Eve Ashwell @ Cut and Run
Media Planning: Mediacom
Media Planner: Amanda Zafiris
Media Buying: ZenithOptimedia