M&M's returned to the Super Bowl in 2012 for the first time since 1998, marking only its second appearance in the event. In the interim, Mars had put most of its emphasis in the game on its Snickers candy bar. But M&M's made a memorable comeback with BBDO New York’s “Just My Shell” (also called "It's That Kind of Party"), introducing a new character in its line of computer-animated spokescandies, Ms. Brown, and showing off the kind of personality that cartoons need if they’re going to work. (“Polar bears take note,” Ad Age’s reviewer said, in a dig at Coca-Cola’s mascots.)

The ad came in first in the 2012 Kellogg School Super Bowl ad review, got three and a half stars from Ad Age, and ranked fifth overall in USA Today’s Ad Meter. M&M’s came back to the Super Bowl the very next year (“Love Ballad”) and again in 2014 (“Delivery").

The brand complemented the 2012 ad with a broader campaign also including a Facebook chat with Ms. Brown the following Tuesday and a pop-up Museum of Chocolate Art in New York City. She also showed up in cameos on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” later in the month.

Director: Harry Cocciolo. Production company: Bob Industries. Director of photography: Tim Hudson.

BBDO chief creative officer: David Lubars. Senior creative directors: Tim Bayne, Lauren Connolly. Copywriters: Peter Alsante, Matthew Zaifert. Art director: Tim Bayne. Executive producer: Lisa Petroni. Producer: Whitney Collins. Music producer: Melissa Chester. Account supervisors: Susannah Keller, Lindsey Conklin, Tani Nelson, Justin Zerrenner.

Post production/animation: Laika. Sound design/engineer/mixer: Philip Loeb. 

Editorial: PS260. Editor: Maury Loeb.

BRAND: M&M's

YEAR: 2012

AGENCY: BBDO

SUPERBOWL: XLVI

QUARTER AIRED: Q1