• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

There may not be much to laugh at in the chocolate commodities business these days, but Mars is aiming for chocolate-lovers' funny bones with new campaigns for both Snickers and Twix. Both play on the current trend of multisensory candy, combining creaminess with crunchiness.

With “Stuck,” a new campaign promoting Snickers Peanut Butter and Snickers Peanut Butter Ice Cream, the company finds humor in the dilemma of a hiker with his arm wedged under a boulder and his indecisive friend who can't decide how to help. (The ad will likely get extra laughs from hikers with a gallows sense of humor: In 2003, Aron Ralston famously amputated his own arm when faced with a similar predicament.)

The campaign, created by BBDO New York, runs nationwide on TV and social platforms including YouTube, Meta, and TikTok.

"The heart of Snickers has always been its unmistakable humor and the simple truth that hunger can get the best of any of us," said Ashley Gill, vice president of brands and content at Mars Snacking, in the announcement. "With the 'Stuck' campaign, we're adding a new, hilarious chapter by exploring the world of hunger-fueled indecisiveness. It's a creative platform that allows us to playfully show how the satisfying, creamy and crunchy texture of Snickers Peanut Butter is the perfect solution to that all-too-familiar feeling of being caught in-between."

In addition to "Stuck," the brand is releasing a series of "Creamy and Crunchy" product-forward visual spots highlighting the multisensory experience.

On the Twix side, the brand recently introduced Twix Bits — poppable bites that deliver the same chocolatey caramel and crunchy cookie combination in a smaller format. The campaign, from BBH, stars LiAngelo Ball, former professional basketball player and platinum-certified rapper, who asks: “Why settle for one thing, when you can be both?”

It's running nationwide on TV and social platforms, including YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, and includes a sweepstakes letting fans with two talents enter to win $2,000 in cash.

Both moves come as candy makers continue to navigate exceptional volatility in cocoa prices — a squeeze that has pushed many brands to change formulations, diversify sourcing, cut bar sizes, and seek new tactics to offset the impact on margins.