Mars Repackages Overthinking as a Singalong Moment With OEFY Gum

Mars is turning overthinking into something you can laugh, sing, and chew your way through.

The company’s OEFY gum portfolio, which includes Orbit, Extra, Freedent, and Yida, has launched “Total Overthink of The Head,” a global campaign under its “Chew Good” platform.

Built with BBDO Chicago with support from adam&eve\TBWA, the effort establishes gum as a small, repeatable mental reset for everyday stress.

At the center of the campaign is a rework of Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 track “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

The song is rewritten to demonstrate the kind of spirals younger consumers deal with daily, from being left on read to second-guessing a haircut.

The idea focuses on "borrowed nostalgia," where audiences connect with cultural icons from before their time, now amplified through meme marketing across social platforms.

“We believe growth comes from building brands that earn their place in culture by showing up in ways that feel distinctive and connected,” said Rankin Carroll, CBO at Mars Snacking.

“We’re creating a joined-up system of ideas with no dead ends, designed to travel across culture, channels, and moments, and invite co-creation.”

Overall, the campaign positions chewing gum as part of a daily habit tied to mood management.

This aligns with increasing consumer interest in accessible mental wellness cues, especially among younger audiences navigating constant digital pressure.

Josh Gross, chief creative officer at BBDO Chicago, summed it up more simply.

"It’s tough being young in 2026; there’s a lot to overthink. Chewing gum won’t solve the big stuff, but it can sit alongside those everyday moments when you just need to reset," he explained. 

A Music Video for Anxiety

The campaign’s 90-second hero film plays like a chaotic sing-along.

Characters move through awkward, familiar situations, from gym class mishaps to social media anxiety.

Meanwhile, meme figures like Galaxy Brain and Chill Dog step in as exaggerated emotional guides.

The spot builds toward a group chorus moment, echoing the structure of classic ad sing-alongs, but filled with humor that "chronically online" Gen Z audiences could easily pick up. 

Aside from the film, Mars is expanding the idea across online video, social media, out-of-home placements, and omni-shopper executions.

Additional activations grow the concept further.

An effort called "Chew Ratings" turns overthinking scenarios into a simple scoring system based on pieces of gum, designed for OOH and reactive placements.

Meanwhile, "Channel Your Inner Goat," a TikTok-first experience, lets users submit worries that are then “fed” to goats in a live, interactive format.

Together, these pieces form the paid, earned, shared, and owned structure Mars is building for OEFY in 2026, with this campaign acting as the main anchor.

Mars’ Nostalgia-Led Reset Strategy

Mars shows how a legacy category can stay relevant by reframing everyday behavior instead of reinventing the product:

• Nostalgia marketing can be paired with modern formats to bridge the gaps between old and new audiences. Memes and short-form video storytelling are a plus. 
• Interactive activations turn passive audiences into active participants. These formats invite users to engage directly, making the campaign feel more personal and shareable.
• Social-first activations are more effective when they drive engagement, especially with 82% of shoppers saying viral trends influence purchasing decisions.

Mars Incorporated made an estimated $55 billion in annual revenue in 2024, proving the brand’s status as a leader in its category. 

Our Take: Does Humor Make Habits Stick?

Mars' latest effort doesn’t pretend gum is something it’s not. It’s not therapy. It’s not going to fix your life.

But it can sit there in your pocket, waiting for that small moment when your brain starts running in circles.

What Mars gets right is the tone, because it’s messy, a little stupid, and very online.

If they tried to make this feel too polished or meaningful, it would fall apart immediately.

The music choice does a lot of heavy lifting, too. It’s funny, but it’s also uncomfortably real.

In other news, Mars brand Twix recently launched an OOH campaign that deletes one character from iconic duos in pop culture to drive the point that two is better than one.

Find the teams driving growth and engagement across every platform. Check out the top digital marketing agencies in our directory.