Skittles has recently launched a new marketing campaign in partnership with the Gay Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
Photos emerging on social media display updated candy packages featuring messages supporting the LGBTQ cause. Among the messages showcased on the packaging are “Black Trans Lives Matter,” “Joy is Resistance,” and “Be Generous With Your Love.”
However, the move has been met with criticism, drawing comparisons to Bud Light’s disastrous campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light experienced a significant decline in sales, leading to a loss of about $18 billion in stock valuation and losing its status as the top-selling beer brand in the United States.
Critics warn that Skittles’ recent campaign might have a similar negative impact. One tweet mentions, “Mars is about to get the Bud Light treatment. Going woke lost Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch billions in market cap. Mars has made a huge mistake.” Others expressed disbelief over the messages on a candy wrapper, with some even calling for a boycott of the candy brand. Another tweet read, “This is worse than a beer company or even a retailer. This is candy, heavily marketed to children… it’s time for them to be canceled.”
This isn’t the first time Skittles has shown support for the LGBTQ community. For the past four years, Skittles has teamed up with GLAAD to advance the LGBTQ cause. In the past, the company has altered the color of their candies to highlight the LGBTQ movement’s rainbow colors and committed to donating a dollar to GLAAD for every package sold, capping the contribution at $100,000.
