Boxer's Rodrigo Garcia Saiz Dispenses A 'Rainbow' of Offbeat Comedy For Skittles

08/03/2012

Boxer

Production Company

Los Angeles, USA

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08/03/2012

Three :30 spots for the Skittles’ “Taste The Rainbow” campaign out of DDB, Chicago.

Los Angeles-based Boxer Films director Rodrigo Garcia Saiz blends offbeat humor and a dash of surrealism with adolescent awkwardness in three :30 spots for the Skittles’ “Taste The Rainbow” campaign out of DDB, Chicago.

The stylized yet understated campaign consists of a series of spots, including “Bleachers”, “Cranky”, and “Mentor,” each infusing a deadpan sensibility to a quirky array of characters in various situations. From a boy afflicted with a fictional Skittles-pox disease in “Bleachers” to a character whose friends are taking advantage of the tastiness of her Skittles-brow in “Mentor,” each spot reveals the comically ludicrous world of Skittles.

Throughout the casting process, Garcia Saiz focused on populating the spots with a diverse group of oddballs, but was open on the “types” of actors in each of the unique roles. He worked closely with the agency and the casting director to push aside all preconceived notions of the characters to find eccentric faces to best showcase the sharp humor in the campaign.

“It was refreshing and exciting to be given such freedom by both the agency and client,” Garcia Saiz notes. “We were able to explore the bizarre world of Skittles by improvising with the actors on set and pushing the limits to find the greatest humor in each spot.”

The team continued to push the creative boundaries of the campaign on set, playing with extreme concepts and toning the improvised ideas down to create a more realistic result.

In “Cranky”, two popular girls covertly approach a nerd in the school library. “We hear you’re the Skittles guy,” they insinuate flirtatiously, adding that they “really want some Skittles.” With a little prodding, the nerd reluctantly lifts his shirt to reveal a candy dispenser crank built into his torso where his belly button should be.

The girls coo excitedly as one of them steps forward to crank out an avalanche of Skittles. However, when the second girl takes her turn, the candy crank jams, causing her to shake the nerd and angrily demand her Skittles. Finally, a swift kick from her friend unleashes a landslide of Skittles that fills her hands and spills all over the floor.

Satisfied, the two girls take their leave, abandoning the self-conscious nerd to stand alone amidst the mess of Skittles, feeling slightly used. An animated logo urges us to “Crank The Rainbow. Taste The Rainbow.”

To view all three spots, click on the link: http://bit.ly/xOKhWF

Client: Wm Wrigley Jr. Company

Senior Marketing Director - Confections: John Starkey

Senior Marketing Manager - Skittles: Flip Block

Associate Marketing Manager: Emily Strobel

Assistant Marketing Manager: Eric Rosskamm

Production Company: Boxer Films, LA

Director: Rodrigo Garcia Saiz

Producer/EP: John Barreiro

Director of Photography: Ramsay Nickell

Art Director: Freya Bardell

Executive Producers: John Clark, Beth George