Skittles examines the life of a man whose skin turned to candy when he was struck by a rainbow.
Skittles has an oddly proud history of creating TV spots in which the candy is involved in anatomical wackiness. For example, who could forget the guy who feeds himself Skittles with his beard? How about the human pinata confronting his co-workers in the break room, begging them to stop hitting him with bats and just buy their own Skittles?
Now, the brand has taken this gimmick to its limit, creating a new mockumentary video spot about a man made of Skittles. The 3 minute, 30 second spot tells the story of a man who was struck by a rainbow, and now finds himself trapped in a body comprised entirely of Skittles.
The man discusses the struggles of living with his affliction, such as leaving behind a trail of candy wherever he goes, or the weird looks from strangers on the street. Finally, he learns that life goes on: “I am a man made out of Skittles, and there is nothing wrong with that.”
Skittles and BBDO Toronto went all-out with the spot, enlisting Cannes Film Festival award-winning director Conor Byrne to direct it. Byrne finds the perfect tone for the video, nailing the popular Hollywood mockumentary style.
This entire campaign has been a home run for Skittles. The spots are pretty darn ridiculous, but this is a candy company we’re talking about here. Their entire business is based on appealing to children – and also the childlike aspect of adults that makes us occasionally ignore the nutrition facts and buy a bag of Skittles.
Howard Davidson Arlington MA
