Mars takes “feeding the trolls” literally by telling hangry Twitch chat users to grab a Snickers

For more than 15 years, TV viewers have seen ads that instruct them to “grab a Snickers” when they’re feeling agitated, because “you’re not yourself when you’re hungry.” Now, that campaign is coming to Twitch — with a twist.

In Australia, legacy candy brand Mars is launching a Twitch activation that ties into its “Feed the Trolls” spots. The prevailing wisdom on the internet is that you should not feed the trolls, but Mars has other ideas. It will identify nasty comments in Twitch chat and tell the people spewing that invective to cool off and grab a Snickers.

Publicis Groupe OneMars and agency partner T&P concocted the campaign, which will run during a busy time on the Australian calendar. Mars is targeting streams related to the Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL). The Grand Finals for both of those competitions take place at the beginning of autumn.

Australian creators Nalopia and midbeast are also participating in the activation. Any trolls who are active in chat while those streamers are live will be asked to reconsider their mean messages — and maybe have a little snack — before being invited to rejoin the discussion.

As creator culture moves toward platform-agnostic operations, platforms are leaning into the features that distinguish them from the competition. For Twitch, that means an emphasis on chat. As the conversational hub has become Twitch’s native language, new experiences have been developed around it. Twitch has rolled out products that enhance its chat and has included custom chat features in some of its brand deals. Meanwhile, many game studios are now building games that harness the interactivity of Twitch chat.

The “Feed the Trolls” campaign is taking advantage of all the color and character that Twitch chat has to offer. If you’re Down Under, you can check out the activation for yourself — but you might have to say something rude first.