The Blair Witch would be proud. Or at least laugh her wrinkly, green ass off.
Some of the best and most innovative advertising to come out of Chicago, and let’s be real – strangest, is the Skittles work from DDB Chicago.
Whether it’s throwing a broadway halftime show with Michael C. Hall or screening a Super Bowl spot for one teenage, the work has consistently been surprising and original.
It makes this writer a little jealous to not work on the brand.
So for Halloween, this writer’s favorite holiday after Chrismukkah, the brand has given us a treat in a new :50-second spot. The first Halloween spot in over five years
Directed by Bjorn Ruhmann of Smuggler, the spot flips the script on a familiar fairytale. The story spotlights a witch who lures a teen into her house with the promise of Skittles.
Her plan is foiled after the teen is so annoying that she ends up begging him to leave the house. It ends with a nice twist on the iconic, “Taste The Rainbow” tagline. Watch below:
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DDB creative director, Nathaniel Lawlor, had this to say about the spot, “In typical Skittles fashion, we took an iconic Halloween story—a witch using candy to lure teens —and flipped it on its head, ultimately turning the evil villain into the hapless victim.”
“Skittles ideas are always rooted in subverting something familiar and turning it into something delightfully unexpected,” added Mitch Rotenberg, senioe associate brand manger. “In the spot, we see a Witch has lured a teenager into her house with the promise of Skittles; what she doesn’t expect is that he’ll be so absurdly annoying, that all she wants is for him to leave. While the Witch seems like the stereotypical character, Skittles has modernized her by giving her Velcro sneakers and a large cooking pot or “bath” instead of a cauldron.”
I will now go out and annoy the rainbow!
Credits
Client: Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC.
Debbie Litow – USA Fruity Confections CBU, Vice President
Rebecca Duke – Senior Brand Manager, Skittles
Danielle Feinstein – Senior Associate Brand Manager, Skittles
Angelina Franco – Manger, Communications & Corporate Affairs
Creative Agency – DDB Chicago
Ari Weiss – Chief Creative Officer, Global
John Maxham – Chief Creative Officer, Chicago
Colin Selikow – Executive Creative Director
Nathaniel Lawlor – Creative Director
Ruth Bellotti – Creative Director
Diane Jackson – Chief Production Officer, Chicago
Matt Blitz – SVP, Executive Producer
Jillian English – Production Manager
Tiffany Cole – Talent Manager
Josh Drueck – Group Strategy Director
Jonathan Palmer – Senior Strategist
Richard Guest – EVP, Global Business Director
Josh Lenze – Global Brand Lead
Kyle Piazza – Global Account Supervisor
Jane Steinhoff – Global Account Executive
Rahel Rasu – Head of Global Communications
Christie Griesmaier – Associate Director of Agency Communications
PR Agency – ICF Next
Media Agency – Mediacom
Production Company – Smuggler
Bjorn Ruhmann – Director
Patrick Milling-Smith – Executive Producer
Brian Carmody – Executive Producer
Editorial – Hutch Co Technologies
Jim Hutchins – Editor
Telecine – The Mill
Nick Metcalf – Colorist
Audio/Sound Design – Heard City
Phil Loeb – Engineer
SOURCE: ICF, Next
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com.
