Skittles wants to rap the rainbow in a .gif – as in rap, the music, and .gif, the file format.

In an online first, BBDO Canada and Skittles have created a digital .gif and paired it with Christmas-themed rap music so people can make their own short .gifs to share with friends and family.

“Gif rap/gift wrap – the connection was obvious,” says Peter Ignazi, SVP and ECD at BBDO.

A .gif, or a graphic interchange format, is an animated photo – usually adapted from a video – that is played silently on a loop. The compressed file makes it very easy to send over the internet.

Users who come across the page can choose their scene (e.g., an elf slipping on a pile of skittles or Santa brushing some dirt of his shoulder), combine it with a holiday-themed hip-hop beat (such as “Yo Yo Yo” and “Holly Atcha Boy”) and write a message. The musical .gif can then be sent out on Facebook, Twitter or via email.

In an effort to continue building the brand online, Skittles and BBDO consciously made the decision not to promote the campaign – it will only be pushed out over the company’s Facebook page. “We want it to be something people discover and share on their own,” says Ignazi. The site will remain live until January.

The entire campaign is meant to be an online brand builder – a fun and exciting distraction for people. While the campaign is largely aimed at a 12- to 18-year-old audience, they expect it will appeal to a wider audience, says Ignazi.

“We want people to continue thinking Skittles is a fun, imaginative brand that they can interact, share and play with.”

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