Skittles (confectionery)



Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavoured sweets, currently produced and marketed by the Wrigley Company, a division of Mars, Inc..

They have hard sugar shells which carry the letter S. The inside is mainly sugar, corn syrup, and hydrogenated palm kernel oil along with fruit juice, citric acid, and natural and artificial flavors. The confectionery has been sold in a variety of flavor collections, such as Tropical and Wild Berry.

History and overview
Skittles were first made commercially in 1974 by a British company. They were first introduced in North America in 1979 as an import confectionery. In 1982, domestic production of Skittles began in the United States.

Skittles' "taste the rainbow" theme was created by New York ad agency D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles.

On March 2, 2009, Skittles launched a web-based marketing campaign where their 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.

Skittles has one of the most-"liked" brand pages on Facebook, with over 25 million followers. The page's success may be due to its eccentric posts, such as: "Most cacti are just looking for hugs."

Skittles have been involved in two political incidents in the 2010s. In the aftermath of the shooting of Trayvon Martin, protestors used Skittles, which Martin had reportedly been carrying, 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 was praised for its tact and directness. MWWPR said Mars' responses could influence public relations best practices.

Varieties
Skittles are produced in a wide variety of flavours and colours, including sour varieties. Skittles has hinted at new flavour releases on its Facebook page, using such statuses as "Locking myself in the Rainbow kitchen until I see some results!" A 2011 posting contained confirmation of a new flavor: "Putting the last touches on a new Skittles flavor. Tweak the Rainbow." In 2013, Skittles replaced the lime-flavoured Skittles with green apple, causing a backlash from some consumers. The lime became part of their Darkside packets.