Skittles | Touch the Rainbow | 2009
Turns Out TV Can Be Interactive Too / Skittles "Touch the Rainbow"
In 2009, Skittles had viewers press their finger right onto their computer screen. That finger then became part of the video itself — turning into a tightrope, or a boxer's opponent.
The problem
This was back when people were saying TV was finished and digital was the future. Skittles' answer was: TV can be interactive too.
The insight
Just by getting people to touch the screen, you turn a viewer into a participant. That was enough.
The idea
They had viewers touch the screen, and that finger became the star of five different videos. The videos were shot as if the finger were already there, making it look like the user's own finger was actually moving the action on screen. They didn't invent some new touch technology — they just said "touch it."
What happened
Within two days of release, it had been viewed nearly 2 million times, was being tweeted about every few seconds, and was picked up by over 800 blogs. A 2010 IAB report found it got 30% more engagement than typical video ads.
Afterthought
No touchscreen, no AR — just the words "put your finger here," and suddenly the person on the other side of the screen is pulled right into the action. I'd love to be able to come up with ideas like this.
