In September 1995, Snickers and its new ad agency, Omnicom Group's BBDO New York, used this spot to kick off a campaign with the new theme "Not going anywhere for a while?" If you're stuck somewhere with a ways to go until a meal, the pitch goes, nothing beats a Snickers.
The ad shows Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy telling players including quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas and defensive end Bruce Smith that they're all staying in the locker room until they make a plan to win the next Super Bowl. Levy had coached the Bills to the Super Bowl in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 -- and lost each time.
1996 wouldn't be their year, either: The Steelers knocked the Bills out of the playoffs in the divisional round three weeks before Super Bowl XXX, where the Cowboys ultimately took the Vince Lombardi Trophy. But the M&M/Mars division of Mars Inc. brought the Bills to the game by virtue of this fourth-quarter ad, Snickers' first Super Bowl appearance.
The "Not going anywhere for a while?" effort was designed to build on Snickers' existing positioning in a lighter way, according to Santa Cruz Hughes, senior marketing manager at M&M/Mars. "We moved from a preoccupying hunger to satisfying hunger in a completely enjoyable way," she told Ad Age in 1997. "From that the campaign was born."
Another installment called "Chefs" shows a painter methodically applying the Chiefs' name to a stadium end zone and realizing too late that he's forgoten a letter. Ad Age named that one its favorite commercial of the entire year. The push won the Grand Effie award for advertising effectiveness in 1998.
Other memorable Snickers Super Bowl turns include "Game" starring Betty White and Abe Vigoda in 2010 and "Very Brady" starring Danny Trejo in 2015.
BBDO vice chairman/senior executive creative director: Charlie Miesmer. Associate creative directors: Gerry Graf, David Gray.
BRAND: Snickers
YEAR: 1996
AGENCY: BBDO
SUPERBOWL: XXX
QUARTER AIRED: Q4