Skittles: Broadway The Rainbow
Mars wanted Skittles to dominate the Super Bowl conversation without the massive expense of a traditional TV spot. DDB Chicago was tasked with finding a way to engage a cynical audience that was increasingly immune to standard advertising tactics, aiming to drive brand talkability and sales during the year's most competitive marketing window.
Creative Idea
Replaced a Super Bowl TV commercial with a live, meta Broadway musical about advertising.
Skittles hijacked the Super Bowl conversation by producing a one-night-only Broadway musical instead of a TV ad. By mocking the manipulative nature of advertising through a meta-performance, the brand earned massive media attention and sales growth without buying airtime.
The Broadway Musical That Killed Its Lead Actor
A 2.5 Billion Impression Ambush
By bypassing the $5 million price tag of a 30 - second Super Bowl spot, Skittles achieved a 5.6% increase in total brand sales through pure earned media. The campaign generated over 2.5 billion media impressions, proving that a live event could outpace a broadcast ad in cultural relevance. While only 1,500 fans witnessed the show at The Town Hall in New York City, the meta - commentary resonated globally. The project even extended to streaming platforms, where the cast recording - featuring the lead single "Advertising Ruins Everything" - garnered millions of plays on Spotify.
Michael C. Hall and the Cat Suit
The production recruited top - tier theatrical talent to ensure the "commercial" was a legitimate piece of art. Lead actor Michael C. Hall played an existential version of himself, famously donning a cat suit while questioning if the stunt would ruin his career. The script was penned by Pulitzer Prize finalist Will Eno and directed by Obie Award winner Sarah Benson. To maintain total secrecy during the development phase, the team used the code name "Winter Live Industrial" for all auditions and rehearsals, hiding the brand's involvement from the press until the very last moment.
Bootlegs and North Korean Vacations
The "meta" experience extended beyond the stage. Skittles hired actors to sell fake bootleg t-shirts outside the theater to mimic the atmosphere of a long - running Broadway hit. Inside, attendees received a 28-page Playbill filled with satirical content, including absurd advertisements for vacations to North Korea. The event also served a philanthropic purpose, raising over $100,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS through a combination of ticket sales and a brand match from Mars Wrigley.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A brand known for 'Taste the Rainbow' absurdity and non-traditional marketing.
Category
Brands spend millions on 30-second TV spots that are often ignored or forgotten.
Customer
Consumers are increasingly cynical about advertising and feel manipulated by high-budget corporate messaging.
Culture
The Super Bowl is the ultimate stage for marketing, making it the perfect target for a meta-critique.
Company
A brand known for 'Taste the Rainbow' absurdity and non-traditional marketing.
Category
Brands spend millions on 30-second TV spots that are often ignored or forgotten.
Strategy:
Subvert the industry's biggest stage by critiquing the medium itself to earn authentic cultural relevance.
Customer
Consumers are increasingly cynical about advertising and feel manipulated by high-budget corporate messaging.
Culture
The Super Bowl is the ultimate stage for marketing, making it the perfect target for a meta-critique.
Strategy:
Subvert the industry's biggest stage by critiquing the medium itself to earn authentic cultural relevance.
Results
The campaign achieved massive success with $50,000,000 in earned media value. Despite spending $0 on Super Bowl airtime, it became the most talked-about ad of the entire game. The show sold out in just 2 days at $200 per ticket. The campaign resulted in a 5.6% increase in Skittles consumption. It received widespread critical acclaim from major publications including The New York Times, Wired, and USA Today, being described as the 'most inventive run in the history of ambush advertising'.
$50M
Earned Media
5.6%
Increase in Skittles Consumption
$0
Spent on Super Bowl TV Airtime
Strategy Technique
Hijack a Moment
By opting out of the Super Bowl broadcast and staging a live musical instead, Skittles parasitized the year's biggest cultural marketing event to generate massive earned media.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Hijack the Medium
Skittles replaced the expected 30-second TV commercial with a 30-minute live Broadway show, subverting the traditional advertising medium to capture the audience's attention in an unexpected way.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's brilliance lies in its total subversion of the most expensive advertising event in the world through high-level theatrical production and sharp copywriting.
The lyrics and script masterfully use self-deprecation and meta-humor to make a corporate brand feel authentic and rebellious.
Transforming a 30-second TV slot into a physical, ticketed Broadway event is a masterclass in brand activation.
The original songs are genuinely catchy and composed with the quality of a legitimate Broadway production.
Securing Michael C. Hall and a professional ensemble provided the necessary credibility to pull off the 'real musical' conceit.
The magic comes from the collision of high-brow Broadway culture with low-brow candy marketing, held together by a self-aware script.
