Skittles are multicolored fruit-flavored button-shaped candies produced and marketed by the Wrigley Company,[1] a division of Mars, Inc. Skittles consist of hard sugar shells imprinted with the letter 'S', similar to M&M's which have the letter "M". The interior consists mainly of sugar, corn syrup, and hydrogenated palm kernel oil along with fruit juice, citric acid, and natural and artificial flavors. Skittles are sold in a variety of flavor collections, such as Tropical, Wild Berry, Brightside, Dessert, Sweet Heat, Smoothie, and Sour.
Skittles were first made commercially in 1974 by a British company. An animated television advertisement from that year bears the logo of the "Galaxy" company and is copyrighted by Jack Candies Ltd, a Mars distribution subsidiary. They were first introduced in North America in 1979 as an import confectionery. In 1982, the domestic production of Skittles began in the United States.
The name of the candy, Skittles, comes from the sports game of the same name, named as such for the resemblance of the sweet to items used in the game.
Skittles' "taste the rainbow" theme was created by the New York ad agency D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles.
On March 2, 2009, Skittles launched a web-based marketing campaign where the official website became a small overlay with options to view different social media sites in the main area, including its official YouTube channel, a Facebook profile, and a Twitter account. The move was debated by people interested in social media.
In 2009, the production of Skittles ceased using animal-derived gelatin, making them suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and certain religious groups.
Skittles were involved in two political incidents in the 2010s. In the aftermath of the killing of Trayvon Martin, protestors used Skittles, which Martin had reportedly been carrying along with AriZona watermelon fruit juice, as a symbol during rallies. Though Mars' brief statement of condolences was criticized by some outlets, such as Adweek, for being too subdued, Mars' response in 2016 to a Skittles-based image macro (which was posted by Donald Trump's presidential campaign as an analogy for immigration) was praised for its tact and directness. MWWPR said Mars' responses could influence public relations best practices.
In 2016, Skittles faced controversy over temporarily changing the color of the candies from the signature rainbow appearance to white in support of Pride month, LGBT rights, and London Pride. The Wrigley Company, a separate representing party of the Skittles brand, mass-produced the limited-edition colorless candies. Skittles' rainbow-themed packaging had also been altered temporarily to complement the achromatic confectionery within. On the back of each monochrome package, the Wrigley Company included an explanation for the company's marketing decision: "So this is kind of awkward, but we're just gonna go ahead and address the rainbow-colored elephant in the room. You have the rainbow... we have the rainbow... and usually, that's just hunky-dory. But this Pride, only one rainbow deserves to be the center of attention - yours. And we're not going to be the ones to steal your rainbow thunder, no siree." However, the message was met with confusion in some areas, with The Huffington Post publishing an article titled "Some People Think Skittles' All-White Pride Candies Are Racist", exploring the idea that by going all-white, the company failed to acknowledge the diversity defined by the LGBT community.
Every June, Skittles repeats the colorless marketing to spread Pride awareness and raise proceeds for an LGBT charity, such as the Switchboard helpline in the United Kingdom. For the 2020 Pride edition, Skittles changed the candy colors from a rainbow to all gray in the United States, with the tagline "Only one rainbow matters during PRIDE". However, the white color continued to be used in countries such as the United Kingdom.
Skittles' marketing has become known for its avant-garde viral marketing techniques, particularly in conjunction with the Super Bowl. In 2018, it produced a Super Bowl commercial that was viewed by only one person. In 2019, it conducted a pre-Super Bowl campaign featuring Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical, which was performed one time only at The Town Hall in New York City.
Skittles are commonly used to effectively treat hypoglycemia in diabetics.
Gelatine was removed as an ingredient in most Skittles varieties, making them vegan.
In 2022, a lawsuit seeking class-action status was filed in California regarding the continued use of titanium dioxide as a coloring agent...
More to come! Stay tuned for the second part of the Skittles blog and don't forget to order your Freeze-Dried Candy today!
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