Ali Ikhwan
For over eight decades, Mike & Ike has remained a staple of the American candy aisle—a nostalgic, fruit-flavored companion for road trips, movie nights, and childhood sugar rushes. Yet, in an era where legacy brands are fighting for the attention of a distracted, digital-native demographic, nostalgia alone is rarely enough. To bridge the gap between 1940s tradition and 2025 consumer habits, Just Born Quality Confections has taken a bold, creative leap: they have recruited Saturday Night Live legend Kenan Thompson to helm a brand-new, character-driven advertising campaign.
This move marks not only a shift in marketing strategy but also the directorial debut of one of television’s most enduring comedic voices. By personifying the titular duo for the first time in their 85-year history, Just Born is betting that personality, rather than just flavor, is the key to winning over the next generation of snackers.
The Evolution of an Icon: From Pellets to Personas
Since their debut in 1940, Mike and Ike have existed primarily as a name on a box—a descriptor for the chewy, fruit-flavored beans housed inside. There was no lore, no visual representation of the characters, and no "dynamic" to speak of. They were simply a sweet treat.
Kenan Thompson, whose career spans from the golden age of Nickelodeon’s All That to his record-breaking tenure on Saturday Night Live, recognized that the brand’s greatest untapped asset was its name. “It’s one of those candies I remember grabbing at the movies or on a road trip, so there was already familiarity with it,” Thompson noted during an email exchange.
For his directorial debut, Thompson decided to strip away the anonymity. He approached the project with the instincts of a seasoned sketch comedian: he treated Mike and Ike as a classic comedy duo. “We treated them like any comedy duo. One character sees the world one way; the other sees it completely differently,” Thompson explains. “Once you have that dynamic, you can drop them into almost any situation, and the jokes start finding you.”
This creative pivot transforms the candy from a static commodity into a relatable, reactive pair, allowing the brand to insert itself into the contemporary cultural lexicon.
The Modern Confectionery Landscape: A Chronology of Change
The challenge facing Just Born is not unique. The entire confectionery sector is currently undergoing a radical metamorphosis. Legacy brands—companies that have defined the sugar-heavy aisles of grocery stores for nearly a century—are finding that the tastes and consumption habits of Millennials and Gen Z are fundamentally different from those of their predecessors.
A Shifting Market (2020–2025)
- 2020–2022: As the pandemic shifted consumer behavior toward at-home snacking, major candy conglomerates began assessing their portfolios. The focus shifted from mass-market ubiquity to "experiential snacking."
- 2023: Ferrara Candy Co. makes waves by successfully retooling the Nerds brand. By moving away from the "pebble" identity and toward the "Gummy Clusters" phenomenon, they prove that texture—specifically the "crunch-and-gummy" mouthfeel—is a critical metric for younger consumers.
- 2024: Hershey’s begins aggressive experimentation with its classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup line, integrating "chocolate lava" and salted caramel variants to keep the brand feeling current and premium.
- 2025: Just Born evaluates its flagship products, including Peeps, Hot Tamales, and Mike & Ike. The company concludes that while the product quality remains high, the brand voice needs a modernization to remain relevant in a crowded digital marketplace.
- 2026: Kenan Thompson is tapped to lead the creative direction for the Mike & Ike brand refresh, culminating in the "We Got’chew" campaign.
The "We Got’chew" Strategy: Meeting the Modern Consumer
The core of the new campaign is built on the realization that young consumers are, as Meenakshi Trehan, chief growth officer for Mike & Ike, puts it, "constantly navigating culture, content, and conversations in real time."
Modern marketing, particularly for Gen Z, requires a rejection of the "polished" or "self-important" aesthetics that defined 20th-century television advertising. Today’s consumers want brands that feel like peers—brands that understand the specific anxieties and irritations of the modern age.
In the new series of spots directed by Thompson, the characters of Mike and Ike are positioned as empathetic, if slightly absurd, guides for the digital age. Whether it is navigating the sting of being "ghosted" on a dating app, the frustration of unstable Wi-Fi, or the sheer volume of Slack notifications during a workday, the candies are there to offer a comedic perspective.
The new slogan, "We Got’chew," is a play on the chewy nature of the candy and the colloquial expression of support. By situating the candy as a "friend" in a chaotic world, the brand aims to foster a parasocial connection that transcends the transactional nature of the candy aisle.
Professional Perspectives and Industry Implications
Industry analysts have been watching this shift closely. The move by Just Born suggests a broader trend: the "humanization" of non-food products. By giving the candies distinct personalities—opinions, quirks, and a worldview—the company is essentially creating a brand mascot ecosystem that can exist on social media, in short-form video content, and in traditional advertising simultaneously.
The Power of Character
Thompson’s expertise in sketch comedy has been the guiding force for this transformation. Having spent decades honing the ability to create believable, funny personalities in the span of a three-minute SNL sketch, Thompson applied that same rigor to the commercials.
"One thing comedy has taught me over the years is that the funniest moments usually come from characters you believe," says Thompson. "Whether it’s sketch comedy, television, or a commercial, it’s always about creating personalities people enjoy watching."
Official Response from Just Born
Meenakshi Trehan emphasizes that this is not just about a temporary ad push, but a fundamental change in how the company communicates. "Mike and Ike have been iconic names, but fans have never actually had the chance to meet them," Trehan says. "Now they have personalities, opinions, and a unique way of looking at the world. They’re funny, a little absurd, and always ready to help people chew through life’s little dramas."
The implications for Just Born’s broader portfolio are significant. The company, which owns other household names like Peeps, Hot Tamales, and Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, is using the Mike & Ike refresh as a pilot program. If this "character-first" approach succeeds in driving sales and social engagement, it is highly likely that the company will apply similar creative frameworks to its other legacy brands.
The Future of the Candy Aisle
As the confectionery industry continues to battle for "share of mouth" against health-conscious trends and a saturated snack market, the winners will likely be those who can successfully balance heritage with humor.
Kenan Thompson’s entry into the world of commercial directing represents a pivotal moment for Mike & Ike. By leaning into the absurdity of the characters and the relatability of everyday modern struggles, the brand is effectively insulating itself against the obsolescence that often plagues long-standing consumer goods.
The campaign, which includes four traditional television spots as well as extensive social media extensions and behind-the-scenes content, is designed to be as "snackable" as the product itself. In a world of infinite content, where a consumer’s attention span is measured in seconds, Mike & Ike is attempting to become more than just a sugar fix; they are attempting to become a source of entertainment.
Whether "We Got’chew" will resonate with the TikTok generation remains to be seen, but the strategy is sound: in a digital landscape defined by personality and voice, the most successful brands will be the ones that finally decide to start talking back. For Mike & Ike, the silence of the last 85 years has ended, and if Kenan Thompson’s track record is any indication, the duo is ready to make a lot of noise.
Nila Kartika Wati
Ammar Sabilarrohman
