It is Christmas Eve, 1996. You’re sitting on a plush carpet, probably wearing fleece pajamas. The TV is a heavy box in the corner. Suddenly, two round, wisecracking candies walk into a living room. They see a bearded man in red.
"He does exist!" faints the Red M&M.
"They do exist!" faints Santa.
Basically, that’s it. That’s the entire 15-second pitch that somehow became the most resilient holiday ad in history. Honestly, it’s kind of wild that a commercial older than most TikTok influencers still airs every single year without being touched up or digitally "enhanced."
Why the M&M Christmas Commercial Still Works
The ad, officially titled "Faint," was created by the agency BBDO. It’s the ultimate lesson in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Most brands spend millions every year trying to outdo themselves with cinematic, tear-jerker spectacles. Think John Lewis or Coca-Cola’s truck convoys. But Mars, the company behind M&M’s, just keeps hitting the "play" button on a file from the mid-nineties.
There's a psychological reason for this. It’s called the Mere Exposure Effect. We like things more just because we’re familiar with them. When you see Red and Yellow meet Santa, your brain registers: Okay, Christmas has officially started. It's a seasonal trigger, much like the smell of pine or the taste of eggnog.
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The Voices Behind the Shells
You’ve probably heard these voices a thousand times and never realized you were listening to Hollywood royalty.
- Red: Voiced by Billy West, the legend behind Fry from Futurama and Ren & Stimpy.
- Yellow: Voiced by J.K. Simmons. Yes, the Oscar-winning actor from Whiplash and the guy who wants pictures of Spider-Man. He’s been the voice of Yellow for decades.
- Santa: Played by Robert Machray, a veteran stage actor who perfectly nailed that specific "thud" when he hits the floor.
Before Simmons and West took over, the roles were actually voiced by Jon Lovitz (Red) and John Goodman (Yellow). Imagine that version for a second. It would have been a totally different vibe. The current duo brings a specific blend of sarcasm and earnestness that makes the "Faint" spot feel timeless rather than dated.
The Mystery of the 21-Year Cliffhanger
For over two decades, we just left those two guys passed out on the floor. What happened to the presents? Did Yellow just stand there eating the cookies?
In 2017, Mars finally gave us an answer with "Faint 2: A Very Yellow Sequel." This was a 90-second short film produced by CLM BBDO in France and BBDO New York. It picks up exactly where the original left off. Yellow, being the well-meaning but slightly dim-witted Peanut M&M he is, decides he has to save Christmas.
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He jumps in the sleigh. He tries to deliver the gifts.
He fails. Spectacularly.
Yellow ends up delivering the wrong gifts to the wrong houses. A grandma gets a pair of drumsticks; a little kid gets a power tool. But—and here’s the "human" part—the neighbors come out of their houses to trade gifts with each other. They end up talking, laughing, and actually meeting the people they live next to.
Red wakes up, looks at the chaos, and tells Yellow he actually made Christmas better. It was a clever pivot from a simple joke to a message about community.
Breaking Down the SEO Myth
A lot of people think the M&M Christmas commercial is successful because of some massive marketing budget. It isn't. Not anymore.
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It succeeds because it’s a "Purple Cow" (a Seth Godin term). It’s remarkable because it stays the same in a world that changes too fast. In 1996, the internet was barely a thing. In 2026, we’re dealing with AI and VR, yet we still want to see a candy-coated chocolate shell pass out in front of a fireplace.
Is the Original Version Different?
There is a common misconception that the ad has been edited over the years. Some people swear they remember different dialogue. This is usually just the Mandela Effect at work. Aside from a very slight color correction to make the red and yellow "pop" on modern 4K screens, the 15-second cut is the same one your parents watched.
The only real "change" is the presence of the sequel during specific broadcast windows, like the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony.
Actionable Takeaways for Brand Storytelling
If you’re a creator or a business owner, there’s a lot to learn from two candies and a fainting Santa.
- Consistency is a superpower. Don't change your brand identity every time a new trend pops up. If you find a "hook" that resonates, own it for decades.
- Voice matters. The chemistry between West and Simmons is a huge part of why these characters feel like "people" we know.
- Short-form works. You don't need a three-minute epic to tell a story. "Faint" does more in 15 seconds than most movies do in two hours.
- Leverage nostalgia correctly. Mars didn't replace the old ad with the sequel; they used the sequel to honor the old ad.
The next time you're flipping through channels or scrolling through a streaming app in December and see Red and Yellow, take a second to appreciate the craft. It's not just a commercial. It's a piece of pop culture history that managed to survive the transition from VCRs to iPhones without losing its soul.
To truly understand the impact, keep an eye out for the specific "Faint" airings this December—they usually start hitting the airwaves right after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watch how people in the room react. Most of them will probably recite the lines along with the TV. That’s the kind of brand loyalty you just can't buy with a standard ad spend.