For its Super Bowl stunt this year, Skittles is not officially planning to air a commercial during the sporting event, but the candy company is going to have Dexter star Michael C. Hall perform a musical ad on Broadway that afternoon.
Hall explains this somewhat confusing premise in a new advertisement hyping the theatrical performance of the other advertisement. “To be clear, the ad won’t be on the actual game — people will buy tickets and watch it live in a theater,” he tells a confused therapist. “It’s a real Broadway show.” After debating this career choice for a bit, the camera pans back to reveal a scarecrow who describes himself as a living manifestation of Hall’s anxieties. The commercial ends with the revelation that this, too, is actually an advertisement performed in front of a live audience.
Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical will be a 30 minute performance at the Town Hall theater in Times Square, with a book by playwright Will Eno and songs by Smash tunesmith Drew Gasparaini. The only tickets left are priced at $207 a pop, but at least proceeds will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. As the AV Club notes, Skittles will probably find a way to run footage of this live event during the big game as an actual commercial.
Super Bowl snack brand stunt season is now officially underway. Stay tuned for more updates on game-day marketing insanity as they become available.
• Michael C. Hall to star in the ultimate ad: A one-night-only Skittles musical on Broadway [AV Club]
• Michael C. Hall To Star In One-Show-Only Broadway Skittles Musical [Deadline]
• Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical [Town Hall]
