Freeze-dried Skittles are real, crunchy and emotionally challenging.
Skittles POP’d-Mars Wrigley’s latest twist on its iconic candy takes chewy Skittles and freeze-dries them, creating an intensely flavored, satisfyingly crunch experience.
But with such a big texture change, how will longtime fans of chewy Skittles feel about all this crunch?
According to Skittles, probably…a lot of things. And they’re here to help.
Before launching the full interactive campaign, Skittles and Team OMC (DDB Chicago and Critical Mass) debuted a bold prelude: “Legally Acknowledge the Rainbow”— an initiative that invited fans to sign a legitimate legal document before trying SKITTLES POP’d. Developed with Team OMC (DDB Chicago and Critical Mass), the quirky activation lived entirely on social media from March 25 to April 18 and included a vision test, Skittles-themed fine print, and even a Snapchat filter that let users sign the contract with their tongue.
To help fans work through the complex emotions of biting into crunchy Skittles, the brand launched a second phase in mid-April which saw the creation of over 35,156 personalized microsites that gamify emotional conflict. The interactive campaign invites users to visit HelpTheresCrunchInMySkittles.com, enter two conflicting emotions they’re feeling (say: “excited” and “betrayed”), and receive a custom experience designed to guide them toward crunch acceptance.
To bring the emotional conflict to life visually, Skittles released this hero :30 commercial–directed by Harold Einstein of production company Dummy–that leans fully into the brand’s surreal, absurdist tone. In it, teenagers quite literally wear their emotions on their faces–one side grinning with delight, the other frozen in horror–as they react to trying Skittles POP’d for the first time.
