Because the M&M’S spokescandies are big pieces of chocolate walking around completely vulnerable to anyone who loves chocolate, they have been pretty secretive over the years. They are only truly at ease in one place that has never before been revealed–their own apartments. This is where their full personalities, and every memory made over 75 years, are safe from the chocolate-loving public. Until now.

With the 75th anniversary looming, the spokescandies knew there would be more eyes on them than ever, so they left town in a hurry, leaving their apartments open for the very first time. This gave media and consumers an unprecedented chance for a peak behind the curtain and the ability to access these “celebrity” residences like never before.

Welcome to 75th & M—home of the M&M’S spokescandies. A place that gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Home Sweet Home.”

We meticulously designed life-sized apartments for all six spokescandies right in the middle of NYC. Each apartment exemplified their unique personalities and seamlessly showcased history in an authentic and innovative way. For example, Red’s was lavish and super-macho to combat his “plain M&M’S” reputation, while Orange’s was a “safe zone” to ease his paranoia about being eaten.

From the walls and room décor, to each custom-designed coffee table book, no detail was overlooked to bring 75 years of history to life in the spokescandies’ natural environment. Completely built from scratch, the experience included:

•1,500 sq. ft. of custom flooring

•887 unique décor items purchased

•78 picture frames

•38 pillows

•16 custom books with titles such as Nothing Rhymes with Orange: A Book of Poetry

•1,500 balls in Yellow’s ball pit

•156 books in Ms. Brown’s library

•29 pairs of shoes in Ms. Green’s closet

•14 security cameras in Orange’s hideout

We approached the challenge in a completely unexpected way, allowing us to create a breakthrough experience that truly resonated with our target. Our idea built a bridge between the past and the future in a way that hit on the trifecta of what we set out to do—ground our target in the brand’s rich history, prove the brand has a place in today’s culture, and encourage them to use their imagination to tap into the joy of the category as a whole.

The M&M’S 75th anniversary brand experience, 360 video, VR experience, and social media campaign generated more than 341 million impressions to date. Nearly 140 media influencers attended the live experience and their shares resulted in 6.9 million impressions —with many sharing more posts than their original contracts stipulated. Overall, the activation helped propel M&M’S to 9th on Adweek’s list of best-perceived brands of 2016.