Here’s a breakdown of the quirky and memorable “arm-wrestling” commercial from Skittles — fun both as a piece of marketing and as an example of weird-humor advertising.
The ad:
(titled “It Will Be Settled” or “Settle It”) aired during Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
In a small, surreal town, every dispute is resolved by arm-wrestling — hence everyone seems to have an enormous, exaggerated right arm.
The set-up:
Two men each eat a pack of Skittles and reach for the very last yellow Skittle (since yellow is their favourite flavour). Because they want it, “they’ll settle it the usual way” — at a table in front of the whole town, their arms locked in contest. And of course the whole town shows up to witness.
Silver And Black Pride
The tagline ties it back to the candy: The prize for winning is that yellow Skittle. Because in this world, even something as trivial as a single candy becomes a reason for full-scale arm-wrestling.
Visual & Tonal Style:
The exaggeration of the giant right arms gives the ad a surreal, comedic edge — everything is normal except that everyone has absurd strength and solving things via brute-arm means.
The town setting is almost pastoral/small-town Americana, but juxtaposed with the absurdity of the premise.
The pace and tone are light, playful, with the underlying message: when in doubt about how to decide something — Skittles.
Marketing Purpose & Impact:
It was Skittles’ first major Super Bowl push. The bizarre premise helps the brand stand out in the crowded Super Bowl ad space by leaning into “Weird but memorable”.
It reinforces the idea that Skittles isn’t just candy — it’s fun, chaotic, unconventional.
Because everyone wants the last yellow one, it also plays on scarcity/desire (the one-in-the-pack) and flavor preferences.
Why It Works (and What It Teaches)
The absurd visual (everyone with enormous right arm) sticks in your mind. Skittles has a long history of odd/unexpected ads; this continues that identity.
Simple, Two people want one yellow Skittle → they settle by arm-wrestling. Even if nonsensical, it’s easy to grasp. The exaggerated scenario triggers amusement. you don’t need deep story to remember it. Ads like this get shared/discussed — which is half the value in Super Bowl ad spend.
BJ 
