Hit & Miss: GS&F's Big Game Breakdown

Hit: Skittles’ Live Doorstep Commercial

Skittles landed a haymaker last night by dropping the traditional multimillion-dollar Super Bowl broadcast slot for a high-concept experiential stunt. They hired actor Elijah Wood to perform a "live commercial" at the front door of one lucky contest winner. By partnering with delivery service Gopuff, Skittles turned a localized event into a viral social media phenomenon that was live-streamed across its digital channels. This creative "hack" bypassed the record-breaking $8 million airtime cost while successfully generating some crazy organic engagement and cultural cut-through.

Miss: Google’s AI Review Purge

Google. Oof. With its aggressive AI-driven moderation system, Google caused widespread damage during a critical retail period. Trying to combat fraudulent feedback, the automated system mistakenly deleted thousands of legitimate five-star reviews for small businesses. This "silent purge" destroyed years of hard-earned brand trust and tanked local SEO rankings overnight for hospitality and retail vendors. It's a failure that highlighted a growing concern, as businesses were left struggling with an overly cautious algorithm that viewed authentic, enthusiastic praise with deep suspicion.