In the latest spot in BBDO New York’s popular and long-running "You're Not You When You're Hungry" series for Snickers, actor Willem Dafoe shows a lot of leg.
A grouchy Dafoe, wearing high heels and Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress from "The Seven Year Itch," stands over a subway grate on set and complains about the ridiculous scenario – at least until a stagehand gives him a Snickers bar. A refreshed Monroe returns to her original self, and the show goes on, with a brief cameo from actor and comedian Eugene Levy as a fan operator.
Snickers released a teaser for the spot last week that’s actually longer than the 30-second Super Bowl ad, in which Dafoe sings "Happy Birthday" on stage.
The series debuted during Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, with then-88-year-old Betty White (and 89-year-old Abe Vigoda) getting tackled during a friendly game of football, a spot that helped revitalize White's career. Snickers also ran an ad during the 2011 game, but after that, Mars put the brand on hiatus in favor of M&M’s until 2015.
That spot featured Danny Trejo as Marcia Brady from "The Brady Bunch," with a surprise appearance from Steve Buscemi as Jan Brady, using old footage of an actual episode of the show. Both men are known for their … memorable … faces. The latest Monroe spot also splices in old footage rather than relying on a look-alike actor.