On social media, snack brand MoonPie hasn’t been shy about expressing how much it loathes the sun (mortal enemy and melter of the chocolatey, marshmallow treat): 

Let’s push the sun...

off a cliff !

        🌜
          |👐
        / \_
━━━━━┓ ＼＼
              ┃   ＼＼
              ┃     
              ┃         ☀️
              ┃
              ┃
              ┃
              ┃

— MoonPie (@MoonPie) August 26, 2019

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Now, a new product idea from Tombras takes the idea even further.  Sun Bad Sunscreen is an “extension” of the MoonPie brand and says “SPFU” to the sun just in time for the summer solstice on June 21. 

The marshmallow-scented lotion offers SPF50 and “protection from the mean old sun,” as stated on its label.  It’s available for purchase on a special website and in MoonPie’s four retail locations across Tennessee and Alabama. 

The campaign website includes a funny “fact sheet” about the moon with sayings including “the moon can affect the tide but she only does it when there are surf competitions the next day.” 

To promote the product, MoonPie debuted a jingle, which features in a minute-long commercial. “Don’t let a little sunburn ruin the fun, say SPFU to the sun…While the moon is a friend, the sun is a bully so lather on that marshmallow scent in a hurry.” The campaign will run across live on MoonPie's Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. 

The overtly ironic and nostalgic ‘90s-inspired campaign was shot poolside in Nashville, TN. Adults and children alike enjoy some fun in the sun with Sunbad sunscreen in the action-packed clip. “Can we eat this?” inquires a child, who is met with a gleeful, “No, you can’t.” 

“Sun Bad sunscreen is the perfect build and complement to our cheeky, indignant social media attitude towards the sun,” said Tory Johnston, vice president of sales and marketing at Chattanooga Bakery in a statement. “When Tombras approached us with the idea, it was a no-brainer. We hope everyone will lather up with the marshmallow scented sunblock while snacking on a delicious MoonPie.”

Knoxville-based Tombras has worked with the 100-year-old, family-owned Chattanooga company since 2015, reinvigorating the brand through its Twitter engagement and activations including MoonPie MoonMate and Outta this world! 

Back in August 2017, MoonPie had challenged a Hostess tweet about being the official snack cake of the solar eclipse. After September 2017, MoonPie’s sales were the highest on record in the company’s 100-year history, as reported by Forbes.

“We’ve poked fun at the sun on Twitter before, and the internet loved it,” said Dooley Tombras, president of Tombras. “We’re giving consumers what they want with MoonPie Sun Bad. Also, we had great success hacking the eclipse before so it was a natural move for us to hijack the summer solstice.”