Tic Tac Little Adventures on Adweek
Tic Tacs Are Little Adrenaline Junkies in The Martin Agency's Charming Ads
Big excitement for the mini mints
By Gabriel Beltrone | Adweek | August 29, 2016
They're tiny hard candies that may be small enough to fit between your thumb and forefinger, but they're still packed with adventure, says a fun new campaign from The Martin Agency.
Anthropomorphic Tic Tacs experience Hollywood-level excitement in four 30-second web spots, featuring miniature worlds wherein mints wear human garb and enjoy human experiences, like cage diving with sharks, riding barrels over the top of waterfalls, jumping classic sports cars over the Grand Canyon and piloting rocket ships to Mars.
Part of the brand's clever "Go Little" positioning (almost like a modern-day version of "Think Small"), the clips are completely ridiculous, and thoroughly enjoyable—stupid and carefree, yet somehow on message.
The writing is clear and simple, with appropriately minor bits of suspense built into each spot. (Will the diminutive green daredevil stick the landing, or explode against the cliff face?) The visuals don't disappoint, either, with charming detail on all the bite-sized models and inviting backdrops. (The spots were directed by Jeff Boddy of Martin's production partner Hue&Cry.)
And that's not to mention the cheesy, retro-TV-style intros. "In a big world … dare to be little," barks the voiceover. Meanwhile, even the campaign's name, "Little Adventures," is aptly on-the-nose. (Stories filmed in miniature are often adorable when done well. See also: McCann New York's amusing work for French Toast Crunch.)
Overall, the point is clear, without having to say it in so many words: Tic Tacs, the heroes in these stories, are, perhaps counterintuitively, packed with flavor. The real question, then, becomes: If eating one is tantamount to space travel, what happens when you pour a dozen into your mouth?
