In an innovative collaboration that marries the whimsical charm of confections with the sophistication of high fashion, M&M’S and Kate Spade New York have unveiled "Statement Candy"—a vibrant collection of accessories inspired by the colourful allure of M&M'S. This partnership brings to life glossy keychains, purses, and more, each piece reflecting the shared ethos of both brands: transforming everyday moments into joyful expressions of style and fun.
In this exclusive interview, Group Creative Director Kate Foley and Executive Creative Director Jen Dorman from Critical Mass, the agency behind the work, delve into the creative journey that led to this delectable fusion of candy and couture.
What was the brief?
Our client, M&M’S, linked arms with Kate Spade New York to create a good-enough-to-eat collection of M&M’S-inspired accessories: glossy keychains, purses, and more. Our job was to create a global campaign platform to name and launch the collab in time for the 2024 holiday season.
What was the process behind ideating the concept?
When this opportunity came up, we had just finished crafting a partnership strategy for M&M’S as it continues to pair up with likeminded lifestyle brands. That strategy emphasises finding shared values and crafting a clear, recognisable story, so we were hyper-focused on finding and amplifying the sensibilities that brought Kate Spade and M&M’S together.
It quickly became clear that the two brands weren’t as unlikely a pairing as you’d think: both icons create colourful moments of shared fun to champion connection.
Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?
Luckily, the collection itself provided the twist of inspiration for the campaign concept: those bags are just so big, so playful, you can’t help but smile when you see them. There’s absolutely nothing subtle about carrying a purse that is actually a gigantic bag of M&M’S. And when we noticed that both brands love the colour green, we were off to the races.
We decided to play with the unexpected fun of the high/low pairing of a luxurious fashion brand and a globally accessible candy brand to create “Statement Candy,” a celebration of being your most iconic self anywhere and everywhere.
We immediately envisioned a gaggle of glamazons “stomping the candy aisle” of a convenience store on their way to a party, which became the hero film for the campaign and the starting point for a series of activations that spanned an entire ecosystem of M&M’S and Kate Spade points of connection.
Statement Candy hit merchandising, we designed classic NYC newsstands inside M&M’S stores! We even got megawatt T-Pop stars to get into the spirit of maximalist joy.
What was the production process like?
We were thrilled to partner with Kara Chomistek and the crew at Park Production House to bring Statement Candy’s hero video and key images to life. Kara brings this fascinating mix of skills – she studied engineering but built her career in fashion production and styling.
It's such a unique combination and having someone who's both a top-notch producer and has deep fashion expertise was exactly what we needed. She understood our vision and knew how to bring it to life, which made for an extremely fluid, collaborative production process.
What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?
Our director, Alexandra Gavillet, was so fun. She understood what we were going for and brought this incredible energy to the entire process. We shot in a real convenience store, which meant we had to get in and out without disrupting regular shopping hours. We had to load in and out during an overnight shoot, which can be challenging– but Alex kept everyone's energy up even at 3 AM.
The way she worked with the talent was fantastic, super supportive and fun. The shoot took place during peak "Brat summer," and Alex brought hot girl vibes from start to finish. The whole cast and crew just fed off her energy. The vibes were immaculate.
What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?
Production is always full of surprises. For our key art and hero images, we'd envisioned “candy aisle” shelves overflowing with the collection—but shortly before the shoot, we realised we’d be working with far fewer pieces than anticipated. The pieces were under embargo and in high demand, so shipping us multiples of the full collection wasn't possible.
We had to get scrappy. On set, we pulled out every tip and trick in the book to amplify what we had—repositioning, layering, and creating visual depth to make the scene feel full. Post-production became our best friend: we built a 3D model of the shelf and digitally added extra purses to create that full, luxurious look.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
We were eager to get this into the world because self-expression is a beacon of joy: when people are their fullest, funnest selves it's an invitation for others to connect and have a little fun together.
Both M&M’S and Kate Spade New York stand for taking mundane moments in your everyday as opportunities for fun and joy, and we wanted to amplify that in the most colourful way possible.
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
The partnership between M&M’S & Kate Spade New York was over a year in the making. We began work on the campaign in April, and work launched in November… but the timing between the shoot and final delivery was much, much shorter.
What role did consumer research or market analysis play in shaping the concept and its execution?
As always, we worked closely with our strategy partners to dig into the shared audience between the two brands, identify what was so special about them, and what they're looking for around the holidays. We found they’re over-the-top celebrators who gather people around them to create moments of joy.
They look to both Kate Spade New York and M&M’S as brands that understand their desire to go big in bringing people together. Getting to know the audience was a huge unlock in setting the stage for the campaign to go big.
Can you discuss any unique or unconventional production techniques or approaches used to bring the idea to life?
For Statement Candy, we flipped the traditional campaign model and thought about every touchpoint as part of a unified experience that considered the massive scale of both M&M’S and Kate Spade New York. Instead of starting with a hero video, we started with the fan’s encounter with the idea: what would it feel like to experience Statement Candy at a store, online, or even in an airport?
That un-silo’d thinking unlocked some amazing moments: flagship displays inspired by NYC newsstands that tied candy to fashion, TikTok live-streams connecting fans in real time, a fan-led fashion challenge turning candy wrappers into couture, and bespoke creative for airport retail, playfully dubbed ‘runways by the runway.’ Every piece fit into the same playful, creative ecosystem, making the campaign feel cohesive and unmissable anywhere fans engaged.
How did you ensure that the concept remained innovative and stood out in a crowded marketplace?
The truth is innovation doesn’t always come from clinging tightly onto creative control. Sometimes, standing out in a crowded marketplace is about crafting an idea so inviting and clear that everyone involved—across 33 markets—feels inspired to jump in and make it their own. That’s what we did with Statement Candy.
The core campaign was playful, bold, and easy to love, but the real magic happened because every team across the world was invited to localise it. For instance, the M&M’S Thailand team brought in T-Pop megastars 4Eve for an incredible Statement Candy pop-up.
They dressed the group in the brand colours, perfectly reflecting not just the collection but all 7 iconic Spokescandies too. It was relevant, electrifying, and something we never couldv'e planned ourselves—because they knew their audience better than anyone else.
That’s how the campaign stayed compelling. By giving every team, the freedom to flex their creativity and connect with their local audiences, they turned Statement Candy into something far bigger than what we could have done alone. The idea inspired them, they inspired us, and together we created something that stood out everywhere.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
What we really hope Statement Candy achieves is to bring M&M’S closer to fans wherever they're having fun together. This brand has been deeply loved for generations, and now, we’re giving fans opportunities to lean into their fandom and engage with us in meaningful ways.
This campaign is a step in building a two-way bridge to fans. By building an immersive Brand World—one that connects every space where people encounter M&M’S—we're creating something bigger than any single moment. We’re inviting fans to play, participate, and leave their mark in ways that feel exciting and fresh. It’s about connection, creativity, and making M&M’S a part of every moment of fun.
Credit list for the work
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Mars Wrigley
Chief Brand & Content Officer: Rankin Carroll
Global Managing Director for M&M’S: Jane Hwang
VP, Global Brand Experience for M&M’S: Marissa Beck Viola
Global Head of Licensing & Partnerships: Drew Davis
Senior Manager, Global Brand Experience for M&M’S: Lily Akerman
OMC
Critical Mass
Chief Creative Officer: Val Carlson
Executive Client Partner, Global Client Lead: Alysson Scartz
Executive Creative Director: Jen Dorman
Group Creative Director: Kate Foley
Creative Director: Alison Steingold
Creative Director: Jon Ehrlich
Senior Designer: Chen Shang
Senior Designer: Alyssa Bowman
Senior Copywriter: Molly Learner
Product Engineer Director, Motion: Chris Langer
Senior Strategist: Jeff Wagner
Strategy Director: Joanna Mathews
VP, Strategy: Brian Asner
VP, Client Partner: Meghan Sejna
Account Director: Janelle Veselik
Associate Program Director: Brendan O’Reilly
Sr. Project Manager: Mike Searle
Sr. Project Manager: Logan Lee-Knight
Sr. Producer: Vince Varga
Producer: Gabrielle Butler
BBDO
SVP, Business Director, Grace Hargrave-Thomas
VP, Strategy Director: Julia Hodson