M&M’S Contest Rewards Candy-Only Communication
M&M’S has put a price tag on the silent treatment: $31,000.
That’s how much the candy brand will award to the couple that can spend one month communicating only via M&M’s.
The contest, called My Treasured Moments: Connecting and Communicating with My M&M’S, challenges one couple to swear off speaking to each other and use only the shorthand messages printed on My M&M’s to communicate with each other for a month. They’ll win $1,000 a day for each day they stay silent.
The virtual challenge supports the online program—launched in 2005—that lets consumers order M&M’s with their own messages printed on the candies.
The campaign broke yesterday, inviting consumers to make a bid to compete in the challenge by submitting an essay at MyMMs.com/Win. The 500-word essay describes a “treasured moment” that involved the candies, tells how they couple will use them to communicate, and gives a unique phrase they’d have printed on M&M’s to get them through the challenge.
Consumers can enter through June 8. Parent Masterfoods will provide judges who will choose three couples to interview as finalists, then pick one to take on the challenge. (The two other pairs win a $100 gift certificate to My M&M’s.com.)
The grand-prize couple agrees to give up all communication, including e-mail, text messages, hand signals and sign language—and Masterfoods will be watching closely. Four video cameras will be placed throughout the couple’s home to monitor their interactions. Some edited portions of the video will be posted throughout the month at the Web site.
For each successful “silent” day in the month the couple wins $1,000. They also receive a celebration at home with 50 family members and friends at the end of the month, and a trip to New York City to tour the My M&M’s factory.
Masterfoods uses TV, print, radio and online ads, as well as e-mail to drive consumers to its site to enter. PR agency Weber Shandwick handles the contest.
“This challenge offers our consumers the opportunity to have some fun while creating personal, emotional connections and communicating with a loved one in a unique way,” said Jim Cass, My M&M’s vice president and general manager, in a statement. “Printing such phrases as ‘Lucky 2 have U,’ ‘U amaze me’ or ‘Miss You,’ offers folks an opportunity to send a personal message in a thoughtful, fun and creative way.”
My M&M’s lets consumers print their own message, in one or two lines, on each piece of candy. (The brand’s iconic “m” appears on the other side.) Shoppers can order two colors and two messages, which are mixed together.
Last week, Masterfoods launched a limited-edition version of the candy to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. The pink and white candies carry Komen’s ribbon logo and the message “for the CURE.” Masterfoods will donate 10% of the product’s sales to Komen.
They are available in either 7-ounce bags (minimum order: 4 bags) or 1.75-ounce gift favor bags tied with pink ribbons (minimum order: 20 bags), priced at $11.99 per bag and $3.75 per bag, respectively.
The pink and white M&M’s(R) Milk Chocolate Candies, available at MyMMs.com, are pre-printed with the new Susan G. Komen for the Cure “Ribbon” logo and a “for the CURE” message. Consumers also can express their emotions and feelings by creating their own personalized messages of support for friends, family and loved ones.
“Along with personalized messages, we can now print artwork and logos on My M&M’s,” said Jim Cass, MY M&M’S(R) vice president and general manager. “What a great way to launch this new technology, with a symbol that means so much to so many people.”
The My M&M’s Promise Blend extends the ongoing partnership between M&M’s Brand Candies and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The brand has been committed to the cause for almost two years, so far raising more than $2.8 million to help find a cure for breast cancer.
