Mars is rolling out a new global campaign on April 7, Protect the Peanut, across M&M’S social channels. The campaign centers around a short documentary by BBDO Chicago that brings to life how the brand solved a pretty big problem: Peanut M&M’S was one of Mars’ most complained-about products. Not because there was anything wrong with M&M’S, but because the peanut wasn’t up to the job.
Due to the crop’s genetic makeup, peanuts are particularly vulnerable to disease and environmental pressures, with as many as 30% never making it from pod to plate. For M&M’S, the standard is even higher, with only about 1 in 100 peanuts making the cut.
So Mars set out to do two things: First, help secure the future of the peanut. Second, champion the adoption of a peanut variety that stays fresher for longer. More than a decade and around $10 million in research investment later, Mars, M&M’s, and leading scientists at the University of Georgia advanced natural breeding to develop more resilient peanut varieties. Mars also put $12 million in farmer premiums to support growers in planting a new variety of peanut that stays fresher for longer. The effort is already showing results, with complaints related to Peanut M&M’s down by around 90%.
“Sometimes the most powerful ideas start with someone noticing something small, and then starting to ask the right questions,” said Josh Gross. “When we saw fans talking about Peanut M&M’s tasting different, it felt like the beginning of a much bigger story. Protect the Peanut is about following those questions all the way to its source, turning it into something meaningful, and protecting something people love for future generations.”
Beyond the film, the campaign also reconnects with some of the brand’s most vocal fans. M&M’S is reaching out directly to consumers, including those who previously took to Reddit to call out changes in the peanut, offering redemption codes so they can experience the difference for themselves.
“For M&M’s, our pursuit of the perfect peanut led us to a much bigger challenge: securing its future,” said Amanda Davies. “Making real progress took generational thinking, real investment, and years of work with farmers, scientists and partners, from the ground up, from soil to snack.”
Davies added that the effort reflects what can be achieved through long-term collaboration across agriculture and science.
“Protect the Peanut is really a story about what partnership can unlock, and shows, at our best, what Mars can do, bring together the right people, back the science, and stay with the work long enough to make a real difference. And when you do that, you don’t just build supply resilience, you help grow the brand too.”
Creative Credits
Chris Beresford-Hill, Global Chief Creative Officer, BBDO
Josh Gross, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO Chicago
Daale Carter, Global Chief Client Experience Officer
Jeremy Kanefsky, Group Business Director
Avery Sykes, Business Director
Robin Laurens, Executive Creative Director
Jonathan Fussell, Executive Creative Director
Gabriel Barrea, Creative Director
Zé Baldin, Creative Director
Lily McNamara, Executive Producer
Vanessa Vazquez: Business Affairs Manager
Grace McGreevy, Producer
Mars Credits
Directed by Sunny Sixteen
Produced by nobodys
Gabe Reiter, Managing Director
Misty Arnold, Producer
Post-Production by Omnicom Studios
Steve Immer, Editor
Caleb Hill, Colorist
David Axelbaum, Audio Engineer
Beah Travis, Post Producer
VFX by LOBO
Matteus de Paula Santos, Creative Director
Luis Ribeiro, Managing Partner
Su Constantine, Executive Producer
Marcelo Barbosa, Head of Production
Eduardo Silva, Head of Post Production
Paula Nobre, Producer
Rosangela Gomes, Post-Production Coordinator
Nathaly Lopes, Post Production Coordinator Asst
Vicente Da Paz, Post-Production Producer
Alceu Baptistão, CG Supervisor
Tiago Mesquita, Modeling
Rafael Dias, Rigging
Camila Fazolin, CG Animation
Mau Pirillo, Lighting & Render
Paulo Quinhone, Motion Graphics Artist
Diego Girondi, Compositing Artist
Raphael Amário, Karin Cristina, Rodger Marmo: Research
Isabela Balbo, Marco Tavares e Fábio Augusto: Ingest/Conform/Delivery
Mars Wrigley Team
Fabio Ruffet, VP, Brands and Content, Mars Snacking
Callie Noakes, Global Director of External Communications, Mars Snacking
Leah Waterfield, Regional Brand and Content Lead
Peggy Tsatsos, Principal Scientist, Mars Snacking
Agency Team
Interviewees:
Peggy Tsatsos, Principal Scientist, Mars Wrigley
Beth Bernier, Director of Independent Science, Mars Wrigley
Victor Nwosu, Retired Senior Fellow, Mars Wrigley
Brianna Cheek, Nut Scientist, Mars Wrigley
Rachel Thompson, Senior Peanut Sourcing Manager, Mars Wrigley
Ruoyu Wen, Principal Scientist, Mars Wrigley
Arun Shetty, Scientist, Mars Wrigley
David Bertioli, Principal Investigator, Wild Peanut Lab, University of Georgia
Soraya Bertioli, Principal Investigator, Wild Peanut Lab, University of Georgia
Kim Moore, President, AgResearch Consultants Inc
Neal Flanagan, CEO, American Peanut Growers Group
Casey Cox, Farmer, APGG High-Oleic Grower Chair, National Peanut Board
Diego Yabes, General Manager of Olega
Tommy Ramsfelder, President of Olega
Dennis Taylor
Wanda Taylor
Nya Fentress
Special Thanks:
American Peanut Growers Group
AgResearch Consultants Inc
Argentine Peanut Chamber
Longleaf Ridge Farms
University of Georgia, Wild Peanut Lab
Olega
Breigh Sutherland
John Malina
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