M&M'S: Internet, meet Rick
M&M'S tasked BBDO Chicago with increasing brand engagement and social sentiment. The goal was to humanize the brand by highlighting its passionate collector community. They needed a campaign that moved beyond traditional advertising to foster genuine, organic interaction between the brand and its most dedicated fans, ultimately driving higher engagement metrics across digital and social platforms.
Creative Idea
The brand crowdsourced a global search to help a superfan find one missing item.
M&M'S turned a superfan's quest for a rare vintage salt and pepper shaker into a global digital treasure hunt, proving that the brand's community is more powerful and fun when they work together to solve a shared, heartfelt problem.
The Hunt for the Missing Apple Shaker
From Local News to Global Viral Hit
The campaign originated after Mars representatives discovered Rick Stephan through local news coverage in late 2024. Rick, a 76-year-old collector from Carmel, Indiana, initially suspected the brand's outreach was an internet hoax until he reviewed official documentation. The production team, led by the directing collective Sunny Sixteen via the house nobodys, spent significant time filming inside Rick's basement, which houses over 3,000 pieces of M&M's memorabilia dating back to 1994.
A Nine Part Social Experiment
The project was structured as a 9-episode TikTok series titled RickTok, which was later compiled into a 7-minute documentary featurette for YouTube. The mechanics of the campaign relied on crowdsourcing; M&M's mobilized the internet to scour estate sales, attics, and thrift stores for a specific vintage Apple Tree salt-and-pepper shaker set. The search lasted four months, resulting in a 3,556% increase in social views and engagement levels 431% higher than the brand category benchmark.
The Collector Community Twist
The resolution of the hunt provided an ironic conclusion: the elusive shaker was eventually located by an acquaintance of Rick’s within the collector community. The individual surrendered the item to help Rick complete his set, though they immediately began a new search to replace the piece in their own collection. Throughout the process, the brand leaned into the charm of the collector subculture, with the directing collective noting that the project highlighted how deeply M&M's values its most dedicated fans. Rick's wife provided a grounded perspective on camera, admitting that while the collection has grown out of control, she remains supportive of his passion.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
M&M'S leveraged its massive, multi-generational fan base and deep emotional connection to its iconic, colorful brand identity.
Category
Most candy brands focus on mass-market product launches rather than engaging deeply with the niche subcultures of their own collectors.
Customer
Fans wanted to feel part of a larger, meaningful community experience that transcended simple product consumption.
Culture
The rise of TikTok-driven social quests and the internet's desire for wholesome, collaborative storytelling fueled the campaign's viral success.
Company
M&M'S leveraged its massive, multi-generational fan base and deep emotional connection to its iconic, colorful brand identity.
Category
Most candy brands focus on mass-market product launches rather than engaging deeply with the niche subcultures of their own collectors.
Strategy:
Transform individual brand obsession into a collective, participatory mission to foster deep community belonging.
Customer
Fans wanted to feel part of a larger, meaningful community experience that transcended simple product consumption.
Culture
The rise of TikTok-driven social quests and the internet's desire for wholesome, collaborative storytelling fueled the campaign's viral success.
Strategy:
Transform individual brand obsession into a collective, participatory mission to foster deep community belonging.
Results
The social search campaign mobilized thousands of internet users and creators to help Rick locate the final piece of his collection. The initiative generated widespread social media engagement across TikTok, earned media coverage on local news outlets (like WRTV), and garnered direct involvement from brand creators and official M&M's channels, ultimately leading to the discovery and delivery of the rare vintage piece.
Strategy Technique
Celebrate the Super-Fans
By centering the campaign on a real, passionate collector, the brand validates its most dedicated community members. This turns individual obsession into a shared brand narrative that invites wider participation.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Spotlight the Overlooked
The campaign elevates a niche, overlooked item from a superfan's collection into the central focus of a global search. This transforms a mundane object into a symbol of community connection and collective achievement.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign excels through authentic Experiential Design and brilliant Digital Craft by transforming a real-world passionate fan's quest into a viral global community movement across TikTok.
Creating a real-world global treasure hunt around an authentic human story engages audiences far beyond standard advertising.
Seamlessly integrating TikTok platform mechanics, native creator content, and fan interactions directly into the story drive genuine organic engagement.
