On November 16th, the internet exploded when Harry Styles got hit in the eye with a Skittles while performing in LA. The incident, while unfortunate, demanded a response that met the gravity of the moment.

Brands often address pop culture incidents like this on Twitter. And while that may briefly create social conversation, it rarely has the power to drive headlines. SKITTLES, known for absurdity and the unexpected, wanted to do something a little different. Something hilariously formal and permanent – a full-page print PSA. The over-the-top act of placing that PSA in the city in which the incident occurred became more than a strategy – it became the idea.

Given that we couldn’t use Harry Styles’ name and likeness, we borrowed Harry’s iconic “Watermelon Sugar” sunglasses, to cue to his fans that we were addressing the incident directly. Paired with the single green Skittles pinging off his left lens – as Harry was hit in his left eye – the full-pager read:

Protect the rainbow.    

Taste the rainbow.    

*But please, don’t throw the rainbow.   

A message reporters and outlets alike repeated verbatim in coverage.

Over the years, SKITTLES has encouraged people to do many things with the rainbow. Touch it. Pet it. Share it. Even…Lick it. The Skittlesverse has always been a place where anything goes. But throwing the rainbow? And hitting a pop icon square in the eye? That’s a bridge too far.

To react to this viral incident, we needed a response that was as over-the-top as our brand. So, we looked to a seldom-used medium in today’s digital landscape to make our message unmissable.

Crafted quickly to run just days after the incident, our PSA-style print ad featured Harry’s iconic “Watermelon Sugar” sunglasses – the ones his fans, or “Harries,” wear to his concerts. After placing our print ad in the Saturday (11/19) edition of the LA Times, our media team began seeding news of our PSA to key outlets to extend the reach, while simultaneously reposting on the brand’s social for additional sharing.  

Element: Full Page Ad

Location/Platform: LA Times Saturday Print Edition 

Date Range: November 19 

Location: USA

Element: Earned Media Outreach 

Location/Platform: Online & Broadcast Placements

Date Range: November 18 – Nov 22

Location: USA

Element: Organic Social Post

Location/Platform: Instagram and Twitter

Date Range: November 19 

Location: US

Our print ad quickly became more than just a print ad, racking up 5.4 billion earned impressions and over 385 media placements, including features in Billboard, GQ, and The Independent. Many showing/mentioning the print placement and headline specifically, reading the copy word for word.   

The Today Show even dedicated a 45 second segment to the full-page placement, which was syndicated to over 100 stations nationwide.

And when shared on social, our post featuring the print ad saw a 50% lift in reach and a 500% lift in engagement (when compared to typical social performance) helping us to continue the buzz and secure lots of brand love.

We turned a largely negative conversation into a positive one, improving sentiment by 52% just 24 hours after our print ad went live. Taking SKITTLES from culprit to hero in a few short days.

Pretty hefty ROI for a single $24.5K print ad.