Funny is not a strategy.

This spot is very funny.



Exceptional casting, brilliant performances.

But, let's talk about the message.

Is there really nothing more that can be said for these new fizzy fruit Skittles other than claiming superiority over a punch in the tounge by a giant tube sock? I'm half kidding, but unfortunately only half.

The assumption here is that people want their tounges to tingle SO bad, they'll do whatever it takes to get that tingly sensation.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't wake with a mission to make my tounge tingle.

This is obviously a far too literal translation, but I'm doing it intentionally to illustrate the faulty logic on which the humor is based. Perhaps if the logic WERE more fluid, this would work.

But it's not, so what I need is to hear more about this fizzy tingly thing - what it feels like, tastes like and why I shouldn't spend another day on the planet without experiencing it.

In its current form, this spot could easily be re-cut with any kind of candy on that tray table and the message would be exactly the same. Is there any candy that DOESN'T taste better than a sock?

I'm all for humor. And just to prove it, I'm going to give Snickers a big shout out here.

Snickers latest campaign, including the now-famous Betty White spot, is a good example of how humor and strategy can co-exist. In Snickers case, humor is used with greater purpose - to define the problem (when you get hungry, you're not yourself) and establish the product as a solution (Snickers satisfies your hunger so you can get back to yourself).

So, back to Skittles. I'm calling this one OFF STRATEGY. (But, funny.)