Iconic Ads: Skittles – Touch

Commercials for Skittles have a long and glorious record of being both hilarious and delightfully offbeat.

The Midas Touch, after the myth that served as inspiration for the commercial’s narrative, bestows upon Tim the ability to do something similar to Midas. Tim Skittlesifys whatever he touches. An interesting take on the Greek story of King Midas, who hoped that whatever he touched would turn to gold. Midas quickly learned he couldn’t eat because of his request, which he hadn’t given much thought to. When he reached out to embrace his daughter, she transformed into a statue made of gold.

This humorous twist on a classic tale succeeded because the Greek myth it was based on remains popular in contemporary storytelling. It’s consistent with Skittles’ overall marketing approach, which features the candy in unusual contexts.

It’s ideal in every way possible. The concept, the actors, the performance, the location, and the script emphasise the writing

Everything in the advertisement is humorous; there is no buildup to a joke. First line: “Hey Tim, show Joel how everything you touch turns to Skittles.” Tim’s female coworker, setting the tone. Tim reluctantly but respectfully transforms the stapler into a piece of rainbow candy, and things go splendidly from there.

I appreciate how she’s prepared to catch any falling Skittles by holding her hand beneath the stapler.

I think it’s great how seriously the topic is taken. Tim’s eyes well up with tears as he thinks of the guy on the bus whose hand he shook but who will never go home again. Is it a good thing that you can’t cuddle your newborn? How could Tim eat and clothe himself? Nothing he does, from shaking hands to picking up the phone to slamming his hand on his desk, goes unpunished.

This commercial strikes the perfect balance between melancholy and comedy. It is so endearing because of how hilariously sad it is.

Art director Craig Allen and copywriter Eric Kallman worked on the Skittles Touch campaign at TBWA/Chiat/Day New York with inputs from Gerry Graf, Ian Reichenthal, and Scott Vitrone.

Tom Kuntz directed the film via MJZ.

Catchy Slogan

Skittles’ marketing staff has always been willing to tweak the original “Taste the Rainbow” tagline from 1994. As with most advertisements, the slogan may be altered to better suit the product or service being promoted. “Touch the rainbow, taste the rainbow” is a line from “The Midas Touch” that describes Tim’s special ability.

The tagline’s use of verbs further highlights that Skittles is an experience that the viewer needs to actively engage in. Like the candy itself, Skittles is more than simply a novelty. It’s like biting into a rainbow.

The Skittles brand is known for its absurd and even macabre comedic content. This is consistent across their advertising and online presence. Customers have come to anticipate it, which has freed up the marketing staff to think creatively.

Ad agency creative director Craig Allen and copywriter Eric Kallman decided to portray Skittles in a “fresh” and “sad” light. There is no particular reason for the idea. They wrote a lot of scripts. They thought it would be funny to do a slightly sad spot for a candy brand. They wanted Skittles to maintain their image of being eccentric and sociable.

Trivia

Tom Kuntz collaborates on several Skittles commercials, so there was some natural chemistry between the two of them. At the shoot, there was a Skittles desk, and the whole room was filled with Skittles. The weight of it began cracking the joints of the glass desk. Despite their best efforts, it fell apart. So they had to rapidly construct a new desk. The day’s last shot had been fired. The adhesive was still wet. Skittles flew in all directions. They were filming in a highly patrolled area of Los Angeles when the police showed up and told them they had 10 minutes to wrap. Shooting began. The desk adjacent to the police officer had just blown up. The officer took a Skittle to the face as they flew everywhere.  They made the shot, though