International candy company Mars wants to prove its commitment to reducing pollution — so now, even its commercials about it are recycled, as the company announced on Axios.
The ad campaign, titled "Healthy Planet Productions," uses the video from existing, popular ads for many of the company's candies, including M&M's, Twix, and Snickers. However, there's a twist: The new spots have been edited to share messages about the company's climate efforts.
For example, in the 15-second M&M's spot posted on Axios, the M&M's mascots appear in a conference room — a classic commercial for the brand. But this time, they have new dialogue dubbed in, with new mouths animated over the old ones.
The topic of discussion? How Mars is cutting down on heat-trapping air pollution in manufacturing and shipping.
This isn't Mars' first step toward more sustainable, eco-friendly operations.
The company has been testing alternatives to its classic plastic packaging for some products, which appeared on shelves in Australia and the U.K. Mars also offered free, recyclable bags for Halloween candy in 2022. According to Axios, it has also published a roadmap of its next steps, meant to halve its carbon pollution by 2030 and reach "net zero" pollution by 2050.
The production of the commercial itself also cut down on pollution. A typical campaign of this type creates 38.5 tons of air pollution through the production alone, but reusing old material eliminated the need for travel, filming, and set production, Axios reports.
Those steps are vital, because major companies like Mars produce a huge portion of the pollution that's heating up the planet.
As Axios explains, 47% of American adults believe that these large corporations are the ones responsible for helping the climate after so many years of damaging it. Companies that want the goodwill — and the business — of consumers need to make a visible effort to be responsible and protect the environment.
The ad campaign makes Mars' effort visible.
"When we launched our Net Zero Roadmap back in September, we talked about delivering real impact and the need to inspire and involve everyone in the challenge," Barry Parkin, Mars' chief procurement and sustainability officer, told Axios. "With this campaign, Mars is taking the work we are doing across our value chain to reduce carbon emissions and making it easy for consumers to engage and feel good about the products and brands they know and love."
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