The Challenge
With the launch of Skittles POP’d, the Gen Z’s most loved candy was changing -- from chewy to CRUNCHY. For a generation already marked by change, we knew this might be hard to process. So, to help Gen Z accept this delicious change, we created a nonsensical brand experience only Skittles could provide. We know that for Gen Z, change can be hard to process. And bringing a big change to one of their candy favorites, no matter how delicious the change may be, can be difficult to understand and accept – especially when that change is a surprising and completely different texture experience. We realized we had to educate people to help guide them through the transition of chewy to crunchy before they tried it and found themselves facing yet another existential crisis.
The Solution
We wrote a 10 page, 3,000 word, legally binding contract. Lawyers became copywriters, copywriters became lawyers. Resulting in a contract littered with hilariously strange easter eggs to reward readership — like a termination clause that honors the “code of the warrior”, a “horse in a suit” clause, and a “Karaoke Showdown” as the official arbitration procedure. But no matter how absurd the joke, the legal legitimacy remains. We even created a custom Snapchat lens where fans sign with their tongues, because we know Gen Z wants to call in sick from licking their phone. To help Gen Z ACKNOWLEDGE THE CRUNCH and try Skittles POP'd, we leveraged short-form assets in the channels Gen Z spends the most time (Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat), driving them to engage with the longest-form content imaginable — a 10 page legal contract. Skittles.com was redesigned to resemble the law firm of “Masticate & Masticate” (get it?!). And for those who didn't want to leave their social channels, our custom Snapchat Lens provided an alternative mode for signing the contract — with your tongue. Influencers with a diverse Gen Z following helped us gain further reach, using their channels to seed the signing behavior, inviting followers to join them in acknowledging the crunch.
