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ASSIGNMENT 3:

REVIEWING SUPER BOWL ADS

BETTY WHITE SNICKERS AD (2010)

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TIMOTHY ODOM

MKTG201 B002 SUMMER 2025

Dr. Thomas Schaefer

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STRATEGY BEHIND

THE AD

  • The ad launched the "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign
  • The campaign's core idea was the simple & widely understood concept that hunger makes people feel “off” & have hunger-induced negative traits
  • Casting an elderly, well established figure like Betty White in an aggressive football scenario made for a memorable & popularly talked about ad
  • The ad reinforced Snickers' as a substantial snack to satisfy hunger

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TARGET CUSTOMER

  • The primary target customer was young men who were Snickers' core consumer base (Calix)
  • The ad aimed to appeal to their desire to belong to a group or "be part of the pack" & uphold the “male code” by showing how hunger can make them unable to maintain their position in the male group (Calix)
  • For this reason, the ad was launched during the Super Bowl and took the humor approach
  • Snickers was able to tap into the universal experience of feeling "off" when you’re hungry & the hunger-induced negative traits that take over which led to the ad ultimately appealing to a much broader demographic

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PRODUCT POSITIONING

  • This ad positioned the candy bar as the solution to hunger-induced negative traits to restore a person to their true self, symbolized by the transformation of Betty White back into the athletic man she was replacing
  • Snickers was able to tap into the universal experience of feeling "off" when you’re hungry & linking it to the loss of one's normal personality & capabilities

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COST OF THE AD &

INVESTMENT EVALUATION

  • This ad cost an estimated $2.95 million for a 30-second spot at that time

(Motivated Marketing)

  • The campaign generated 400 million incremental & unpaid media impressions, which had an estimated media value of $28.6 million—a return of 11.4 times the initial investment (CampaignUS)
    • This ad was named the top Super Bowl commercial by USA Today
    • An 18,000% spike in Google & YouTube searches for the Snickers brand followed the Super Bowl (CampaignUS)
    • There was 91+ days of media coverage from this single 30-second ad (CampaignUS)
    • Betty White appearances on talk shows led to this ad being frequently shown
    • Many references to the campaign were made in tv shows

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IMPACT ON

CUSTOMER LOYALTY

  • Snickers was facing declining sales due to many customers not repurchasing the product the following year (Chocolate Class)
  • This ad reversed this trend, leading to an increase in sales volume & market share growth (Chocolate Class)
  • By linking the brand with the ability to satisfy hunger-induced negative traits, Snickers was able to build a strong connection with its consumers, thus positioning Snickers as a widely talked about answer to a common problem

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CONCLUSION / SUMMARY

  • This one ad launched an extremely impactful campaign
  • The campaign's core idea was simple & relatable to everyone, especially their target customers
  • Using a famous influential figure often leads to a memorable & popularly talked about ad
  • Ads & campaigns should reinforce the company's primary intent & goal
  • A good ad / campaign can revive your company

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REFERENCES

  • Calix, J. (2025, February 13). Great work: A snickers campaign. ABOVO MARKETING. https://www.teamabovo.com/resources/great-work-a-snickers-campaign/#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20bring%20a,male%20group%20is%20in%20jeopardy.
  • CampaignUs. (2022, September 1). Case study: How fame made snickers’ “you’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign a success. Campaign US. https://www.campaignlive.com/article/case-study-fame-made-snickers-youre-not-when-youre-hungry-campaign-success/1413554#:~:text=We%20could%20not%20have%20hoped,Delivering%20local%20fame%20globally

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REFERENCES

  • How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost? . Motivated Marketing. (2025, January 26). https://motivatedmarketing.com/about-motivated-marketing/frequently-asked-questions/how-much-does-a-30-second-super-bowl-commercial-cost/
  • Taking a critical look at snickers’ “you’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign. Chocolate Class. https://chocolateclass.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/taking-a-critical-look-at-snickers-youre-not-you-when-youre-hungry-campaign/#:~:text=Background%20Information,part%20of%20the%20male%20pack.