A love-sick young man partakes in an age-old ritual with a surprising twist in Skittles' Super Bowl LI commercial.
Created by adam&eveDDB, the 30-second spot opens on a familar sight, an infatuated boy quietly tossing pebbles at a girl's bedroom window to get her attention. But rather than pebbles, it's Skittles he's throwing, over and over again, and--judging by the lack of noise--not one seems to be hitting its mark.
We soon see the reason why: The object of the boy's affection is sitting on her bedroom floor, eagerly catching the candy in her mouth. Pretty funny. But the spot takes the joke to another level when a procession of family and friends saddle up to snag their own share. (The Skittles scattered across the bed are a nice touch.)
The commercial marks the third consecutive Super Bowl appearance for the brand, which is owned by Wrigley (which is owned by Mars). It is slated to appear in the first quarter of the game, which will take place on Feb. 5th.
A brand spokesman promised "even more Super Bowl fun" before game day, but did not specify what the brand was planning.
Snickers, also owned by Mars, has previously confirmed that it will release a 30-second Super Bowl LI spot, and the promotions of the two brands often mirror each other. Both Skittles and Snickers will participate in a marketing rivalry dubbed the "Candy Bowl" that runs through Feb. 27, 2017. Fans can text a picture or keyword—"Team Snickers" or "Team Skittles"—for a chance to win tickets to a regular season NFL game of their choice.
In 2015, Skittles made its first foray into the Super Bowl, shelling out $4.5 million for a 30-second spot filled with large-armed yokels. The brand’s absurdist bent has been lucrative—Skittles is the bestselling non-chocolate candy in the country
(This article first appeared on CampaignLive.co.uk)
