PROTECT THE PEANUT
Brand
MARS SNACKING
Entrant Agency
BBDO
Category
Brand Experience & Activation
Award
Bronze
Festival & Year
Cannes Lions (2026)
Case Study Details
When Mars discovered that peanuts were in trouble, they set out to do two things: First, help secure the future of the peanut. Second, champion the adoption of a peanut variety that stays fresher for longer. More than a decade and around $10 million in research investment later, Mars, M&M’s, and leading scientists at the University of Georgia advanced natural breeding to develop more resilient peanut varieties. Mars also put $12 million in farmer premiums to support growers in planting a new variety of peanut that stays fresher for longer.
Presentation Board
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research, university partnerships, and the development of
Campaign climate-resilient peanuts, followed by supply chain improvements,
farmer adoption, and product innovation, A documentary broke down
E ‘ S ; — the science for consumers and M&M'S quest to future-proof the crop for
& @ ‘Aperfect peanut with Improving one of America's generations to come. To close the loop, redemption codes allowed
benefits beyond M&Ms” most recognizable candies” Redditors who had posted negative Peanut M&M'S experiences to taste
p « t the new and improved Peanut M&M’S for themselves. But Protect the
She New ork Cimes) USA' Peanut not only benefits M&M'S. Now other brands are also putting
TODAY; these peanuts to work.
varieties to giving back to the Reddit ; ‘
“First program dedicated @
to protecting peanuts”
community that startedit all (Kd Age : e
the problem 2
M&M’S, America's biggest peanut candy, had a problem. Complaints .
about rancid flavor on reddit were piling up faster than all the other
Mars candies complaints combined. Turns out, the problem was bigger
than the candy itself. Drought, extreme weather, diseases and the
effects of the changing climate were threatening the very existence
of peanuts as we know it. As one of the largest peanut buyers in the
world, M&M'S had to do something.
From Reddit complaints to scientists to
farmers to new climate-resilient peanut “A peanut makeover” _
e
the idea
2 mmschocolate
Hey ,, we worked with farmers and scientists
to grow new peanut varieties that stay fresher for longer.
Give them a try:(_
When complaints about: a rancid taste in Peanut M&M’S started piling up
on Reddit, we could have simply apologized or handed out: coupons.
Instead, we reimagined the peanut. In partnership with the University of
Georgia, M&M'S developed a biological blueprint for new peanut varieties
more resilient to a changing climate. These improved peanuts taste
better, are more consistent, and more shelf stable. Farmers adopted
them, the supply chain scaled them, and soon they were in every Peanut
M&M. But it wasn't enough, we went back to Reddit, found the Redditors
who complained, and let them try the new Peanut M&M'S.
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90% 397M $15M ¢1B fastest-growing =
fewer complaints organic impressions invested products Uurce
ABOUT PEANUT M&M’S IN JUST ONE WEEK THROUGHT 2030 IN PEANUT M&M’S SALES IN THE M&M’S PORTFOLIO TOM&M’S MAIN COMPETITORS
