Feeling “hangry”? Snickers knew just what to do. Here’s how they turned hunger into their winning formula.
Ever felt completely not yourself when you’re hungry?
Snickers took that all-too-relatable feeling and turned it into a marketing sensation with their “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign in 2010. They didn’t just sell a candy bar—they owned the word hangry.
Here’s how they did it.
The campaign featured people acting wildly out of character when they were hungry—whether they were morphing into a diva, an angry brute, or a grumpy old man. The message was clear: hunger changes you, and Snickers can snap you out of it. It was funny, memorable, and incredibly relatable. We’ve all been “hangry” before, and Snickers made themselves the go-to solution for those moments of irrational hunger-induced rage.
The genius? Snickers didn’t just increase sales—they became a cultural reference point. If someone’s in a bad mood because they’re hungry, what do we say? “You need a Snickers.” They owned the “hangry” problem, making Snickers the snack you reach for to restore balance.
The lesson?
If you can identify a real-world, universal problem and solve it in a memorable way, your brand becomes part of everyday life. Snickers didn’t just market a candy bar—they provided the answer to a widely recognised feeling, forever linking their product to the solution.
What Problem Could Your Brand Solve?
Ask yourself:
Is there a universal problem or experience your product or service can solve in a relatable way?
How could humour or exaggeration help highlight how your brand fixes a real issue?
Could owning a simple, everyday problem make your brand top-of-mind for customers?
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