Sun vs Moon ‘24: Brutality in the Totality

MoonPie, the brand that blew up the internet after a solar eclipse-themed Twitter feud with the snack cake brand that rhymes with hostess, is back with a new campaign to build excitement for the total solar eclipse on April 8 – the first total eclipse since 2017.

During the 2017 total solar eclipse, MoonPie’s astronomical showdown with Hostess Snacks went mega-viral after Hostess proclaimed its Golden CupCakes the official snack cake of the eclipse. MoonPie’s five-letter burn, “Lol ok,” caused an internet field day garnering hundreds of thousands of retweets and national media coverage.

This year, MoonPie is ringing the bell on its second round as the official snack of the solar eclipse (as the brand said before, “who says you can’t sponsor a celestial event”). In a new campaign from AOR Tombras, the brand is pitting the Sun against the Moon in a cosmic rematch billions of years in the making.

In the Hero film, shot in the style of a pro wrestling trailer, two wrestlers portray the Sun and Moon. The Sun appears from behind a curtain accompanied by on-screen stats such as his age (4.6 billion), height (tall as heck) and alter egos (Big Dumb Ball of Fire). Then the Moon appears, taunting the sun and foreshadowing the Moon’s dominance during the 4 minutes and 27 seconds of the eclipse.

The message is clear: Go out there and get some MoonPies for the eclipse, ‘cause the sun is about to go down. Translation: Buy the limited edition “Solar Eclipse Survival Kit.”

In addition to the Hero film, three Promo videos (Demonstration, 4 Minutes and 27 Seconds, and Solar Eclipse Survival Kits) are launching across social media channels on the days leading up to the eclipse, serving as reminders to grab MoonPies and get ready for Brutality in the Totality.

The Solar Eclipse Survival Kits come in chocolate, vanilla or banana mini MoonPies and are must-haves for eclipse watch parties. They are available at all Dollar Tree locations and at participating Walmart stores, as well as in select grocery stores and at moonpie.com while supplies last. An online-only version of the kit includes four chocolate mini MoonPies along with two MoonPie-themed eclipse glasses, in black packaging with the phrase “Get Mooned on 4.8.24.”