Snickers Comically Forgot That Twitter Was Shutting Down Fleets

Snickers has been mining comedy gold on the topic of hunger—and the poor decisions it can lead to—for years. Hunger’s superpower of “messing with your personality,” as BBDO once put it, has led to any number of amusing creative executions.

The latest happened this week, as the Mars Wrigley candy brand decided to leap into Twitter Fleets. Just as it was about to die.

On Monday, @SNICKERS ran a series of Fleets announcing a sweepstakes timed to “Grab Some Nuts” Day on Tuesday. (We declined to research “Grab Some Nuts” Day too closely, but suffice it to say, it’s a thing.) But then Fleets was deactivated right after the final Fleet was posted, and the sweepstakes never actually went live.

Snickers, then, of course, blamed the whole fiasco on its social media manager being hungry and missing the memo about the end of Fleets.

The brand made faux-amends later by offering free boxes of Snickers to 20 followers who replied in the comments of the tweet below.

#SWEEPSTAKES This is awkward. Our social media manager was so hungry they forgot @Twitter was deactivating #Fleets. To make up for it, we’re giving away 20 boxes of SNICKERS here instead. Comment for a chance to win.

No Purch. Nec 50 US/DC 18+. Ends 8/5/21. Rules link in bio. pic.twitter.com/NTjJje83vP

— SNICKERS (@SNICKERS) August 3, 2021

The stunt was crafted by BBDO New York in partnership with Mars Wrigley’s social media and digital content studio The Hive. It continues the brand’s long-running hunger theme, currently expressed through the line “Maybe you just need a Snickers”—as other Mars Wrigley candies were quick to remind their sibling brand.

Fleets is sooo yesterday @SNICKERS

— SKITTLES (@Skittles) August 3, 2021

Hey @SNICKERS, maybe YOU just need a SNICKERS.

— M&M’S (@mmschocolate) August 3, 2021

CREDITS

Client: Mars Wrigley
Mike Italia: Head of Social Media & Digital Content Studio for Mars Wrigley
Alexis Cettina: Social Media Strategist
Creative Agency: BBDO New York
David Lubars: Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Worldwide
Peter Kain: Executive Creative Director
Gianfranco Arena: Executive Creative Director
Kristin Clark: Associate Creative Director
Matthew Low: Associate Creative Director
Meredith Welborn: Junior Art Director
Sabrina Rivera: Junior Copywriter
Susannah Keller: EVP, Global Business Leader, Mars
Lisa Piliguian:  EVP, Senior Director
Lindsey Mawhee: VP, Account Director