While most brands compete for seconds of screen time during the Super Bowl, Skittles is once again stepping outside the broadcast. For 2026, the candy brand is transforming the idea of a Big Game commercial into a physical event: a live, in-person performance delivered directly to the home of a single fan.
The activation, developed by Omnicom’s Team OMC, continues Skittles’ long-running tradition of redefining what Super Bowl advertising can look like. Instead of buying a national TV slot, the brand is offering one selected household a private “commercial” starring actor Elijah Wood, performed on their doorstep on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8.
From mass broadcast to one-to-one spectacle
Skittles has built a reputation for subverting Super Bowl conventions. In past years, the brand has staged a one-viewer television ad and even mounted a Broadway musical presented as a commercial. The 2026 concept pushes that logic further, shifting the Big Game ad from screens into real life.
By turning the commercial into a live performance, Skittles reframes advertising as an experience rather than a message. The chosen fan will not watch the ad. They will host it.
This year’s idea is anchored in a partnership with instant commerce platform Gopuff, which enables the stunt and ties the spectacle to Skittles’ broader push into home delivery.
Building a fictional world that becomes real
The campaign is introduced through a series of films establishing its creative universe. In the launch content, two teenagers blow a horn to summon a mysterious creature, portrayed by Elijah Wood, who appears to deliver Skittles. The story blends absurdity and fantasy, setting up the idea that candy can be conjured on demand.
On game day, that fictional premise becomes literal. One fan’s home will be visited by the character himself, turning the mythology into a real-world event and collapsing the distance between brand storytelling and consumer experience.
The horn, the character, and the delivery all serve as metaphors for instant gratification — and as playful vehicles to highlight on-demand commerce.
A campaign designed to live beyond the doorstep
Although only one household will receive the live commercial, the activation is supported by a broader ecosystem. Fans across the United States can pre-order a Skittles Big Game Bundle through Gopuff and enter the contest via a dedicated campaign site.
Social and digital content will extend the narrative before and after the Super Bowl, ensuring that the moment resonates beyond the selected address. The live performance becomes the centrepiece of a wider story about immediacy, surprise, and participation.
Entries close on January 21, with eligibility limited to US residents living in qualifying single-family homes.
Redefining what “airtime” means
In a media landscape saturated with high-budget Super Bowl commercials, Skittles’ strategy rejects reach as the primary metric and replaces it with memorability. By staging a commercial that cannot be watched in the traditional sense, the brand positions itself as both commentator and disruptor of advertising culture.
The result is not a commercial about Skittles, but an event enabled by Skittles — one designed to be talked about, shared, and reconstructed across social platforms.
As brands increasingly seek cultural relevance rather than raw impressions, Skittles’ live Super Bowl delivery suggests a future where advertising is less about interruption and more about orchestrated experiences.
