Current WWE Champion Kofi Kingston is featured in a new Skittles commercial that’s fittingly weird and hilarious. Kingston, along with his fellow New Day members Big E and Xavier Woods, are among WWE’s most popular stars. As good in the ring as they are on the mic, the trio have charted a path to success that once seemed unlikely.
Officially forming in 2014, The New Day was originally conceived as a purely comedic act. With no avenue to showcase their skills between the ropes, and a belief among fans that the characters they portrayed carried unfortunate racial undertones, live crowds were initially lukewarm to New Day. The trio stayed the course, managing to turn the animosity of audiences into merchandising opportunities and fuel for storylines. Now, still together as a team after five years, a rarity in professional wrestling, Kofi ascended to the top throne. He won the WWE title, defeating Daniel Bryan in one of Wrestlemania 35’s most highly-anticipated bouts. Big E and Woods are multi-time tag champions and among the first to be considered for any crossover opportunities, such as the recent WWE/Brawlhalla announcement.
In a tweet sent out by Kingston, The New Day are featured in yet another example of their amusing oddness: this time, it’s a Skittles commercial. Returning backstage after a grueling match, Kingston is first seen using a big plastic bag filled with Skittles to nurse his injures. The camera then pans over to Woods, who’s doing the same. And then, lastly, Big E is revealed. Known for being the most outrageous member of New Day, with a sense of humor that regularly pushes up against WWE’s PG reputation, his way of using Skittles has to be seen to be believed.
Wrestlers and odd commercials are hardly a new phenomenon, exclusive to New Day. Other examples over the years have included John Cena excitedly shouting about shaving, Andre the Giant pushing cereal, and Randy Savage’s memorable ads for Slim Jim. More recently, a new generation of superstars like Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, and The Miz have all lent their singular personas to one product or another. The larger than life nature of professional wrestling has, for a long time, lined up well with advertisements that need to be strange and unique to attract eyeballs and potential new customers.
With AEW arriving on the scene in a matter of months, and WWE altering one of its main brands in response, the world of professional wrestling might be in for a battle in the coming years. Whoever comes out on top, it’s good for an industry that’s often dismissed as a mere niche. Partnering with Skittles in strangely funny ads, with the potential to go viral, is another way of shifting dismissive perceptions.
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Source: Kofi Kingston
