3 minute read

Fifteen years later, I still think about this one. A spoof Skittles wedding night commercial from a directing duo called Cousins, shot in the exact filming style the brand actually used in its “taste the rainbow” era, except pushed into territory the US Skittles marketing team would never sign off on. Newlyweds, a hotel room, a very enthusiastic groom, and a line that has been quoted, misquoted, and turned into ringtones ever since: “Get ready for my sweetnesssss!”

It went up as a fake ad. It spread like a real one. And it’s still one of the best arguments I know for why American commercials play it safer than they need to.

Was the Skittles Wedding Commercial Actually Banned?

Short answer: no, because it was never an official Skittles ad in the first place. The Skittles brand never aired this one, never sanctioned it, and never would have. It’s a spec spot — a comedy piece Cousins produced to show what they could do with the “taste the rainbow” tone if nobody was checking their homework.

That hasn’t stopped people from labeling it the “banned Skittles commercial,” the “banned Skittles wedding night ad,” or some variant of the above. I’ve watched this get reposted on YouTube and promptly nuked for fifteen years running, so functionally? Yeah, it’s banned. Just not in the way people think.

Worth noting: it also has nothing to do with a Super Bowl ad, despite that being the phrasing I see in search every year. Skittles has run plenty of weird, funny, actual Super Bowl spots. This isn’t one of them.

Why the Honeymoon Gag Works

Most “dirty” or “inappropriate” commercials try way too hard. They telegraph the joke, wink at the camera, and drown the punchline in lighting and music cues that scream “we’re being edgy now.”

This one doesn’t. The newlyweds play it completely straight. The bride is sweet, the groom is thrilled, the honeymoon suite is bathed in soft European ad lighting. The setup is so faithful to a real Skittles wedding commercial that you don’t register what’s actually happening until the groom delivers the line. Then the whole thing tips, and you realize you’ve been watching a candy ad do something no candy ad has ever done.

That’s why it lands. The restraint is the joke.

Favorite Quote and the Line Everyone Misremembers

The actual line is: “Get ready for my sweetness!”

Half the internet remembers it as “taste my sweetness,” which, fair — that one scans better and it’s closer to the real Skittles slogan. Either way, if you’ve ever quoted it at a friend’s wedding and watched their face cycle through three emotions in two seconds, you know exactly which commercial we’re talking about.

Why the US Still Won’t Make Ads Like This

Every few years I hope American advertising gets a little weirder, a little braver, a little less terrified of its own shadow. European spots have been doing this kind of humor forever — dry, uncomfortable, committed to the bit. Meanwhile, the US candy aisle gets rainbow-themed jingles and a talking M&M having feelings about his own self-worth.

I’d take ten more Cousins-level fake Skittles ads over one more celebrity-cameo Super Bowl spot. Give me the bride. Give me the groom. Give me the sweetness. Let the brand safety team cry about it.

If you haven’t seen the original, it’s above. If you have, watch it again. Fifteen years old and it still hits.