June 14, 2017
Source/Skittles/Mars, Incorporated
In June, Skittles sells colorless candy in deference to Pride Month's claim over the brand's signature rainbow slogan.
Brands all around the globe are stepping up to embrace the celebration of Pride Month with special promotions and rainbow-inspired social media campaigns.
Nike released its annual "Be True" sneaker collection, Target rolled out its annual Pride merchandise and Instagram added colorful stickers and filters for the month of June, to name a few.
Skittles finds itself in something of an odd Pride Month predicament. For a candy whose slogan is "Taste the Rainbow," the simplest and safest approach might logically be to stand pat and give a hearty show of support for the LGBTQ community on social media.
But for the second year in a row, Mars, Inc. decided to roll the dice on a campaign that features limited edition all-white candies. The well-intentioned promotion is explained in the display shown below.
#Skittles #Pride2017 pic.twitter.com/O8GK2CnXAW
— Beth Shaffer (@Cagney10) June 11, 2017
Some on social media interpreted the gesture as a subtly racist misfire.
I dont think skittles thought through the LGBT pride campaign..
— Pink Thunder (@AltFfore) June 1, 2017
Releasing all white sweets during "pride"..
The jokes write themselves
Why couldn't they just be gray ?#Skittles #Justsayin #itsonlycandy #butstill pic.twitter.com/4qQpeHGkoY
— Solan (@Tweetsolan) June 14, 2017
Also do white Skittles feel a little racist to anyone?
— Esther R (@polyeaster) June 14, 2017
Skittles realized how white/capitalist PRIDE was becoming and wanted to join in the efforts. Interesting. https://t.co/HIHZDYslxN
— GIA (@juniperangelica) March 31, 2017
These White Supremacy Skittles are brilliant.
— Jordan Walton (@Jaysgba) May 24, 2017
Wow, where is the all black Skittles? This is absolutely disgusting, a prime example of everyday white washing and I will NOT stand for it 😡 https://t.co/uVSY9ZFOtr
— filet-o-ishaq 🏆 (@IshaqKai) March 31, 2017
using the LGBT committee as a cover to practice racism in plain sight.. why couldn't it have been white AND black skittles? 🤔 https://t.co/vK6dcH4JUS
— Oh-Knee 🖤 (@onlyonyiii) March 31, 2017
@Skittles yall better start making black an white skittles for pride or people are gonna keep thinking you're company is racist
— trigger fest (@DreadHeadMcgee) May 4, 2017
Many others, sizing up the backlash as feigned outrage, were unwilling to feed into it and came to Skittles' defense.
With everything going on in the world, how can people waste energy being mad at a #skittles #pride campaign?
— Chris Boutté (@TheRewiredSoul) June 15, 2017
@Skittles Yo, good move- screw anyone that can't see the beauty in what you did #Skittles
— william hughes (@Will_Hughes__) June 14, 2017
That's what I like to see! #Skittles pic.twitter.com/X00OdXnmEt
— Caitlin Roy (@Caitlinroy95) June 14, 2017
I don't see it promoting white supremacy tbh. Marshawn would still eat 'em. #skittles
— Sarah (@EternallyPurple) June 14, 2017
#skittles Loving these new Ku Klux Klan style Skittles. All white and pure... Said nobody but triggered idiots. Putin, pull the trigger pal
— Scott Bowman ⚒ (@ScottyBowman6) June 14, 2017
Ignore the haters @skittles - internet warriors want to misconstrue all. Well done on giving 2p per pack of #skittles to #lgbt charities
— H (@haitchy_c) June 14, 2017
Chill people, not everything is secretly white supremacy in play. BS #skittles shd be white & BLACK - other races dont matter. Hmm???
— H (@haitchy_c) June 14, 2017
Ppl have something to say about everything! Take out rainbow colours & ur left with b/w. Simple as. #Skittles #Pridehttps://t.co/37rG865dsG
— Sandika Dhawan (@i_sandiii) June 14, 2017
People need to take a chill pill not EVERYTHING is about race. Well done #Skittles awesome idea for a great cause! :) #PrideMonth
— Elitsa Veshkova (@elveshkova) June 14, 2017
@Skittles marketing director deserves every dime they make. #genius #marketing #PrideMonth #Pride2017 #Pride #Skittles pic.twitter.com/tazDVOfWgo
— Danna LeAnn (@DannaLeAnn) June 14, 2017
This isn't the first time Skittles — a candy you'd have to be missing a heart not to love — has landed in the middle of a controversy surrounding race and nationality.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a photo of a bowl of Skittles with a caption that read, "If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you three would kill you, would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.”
This image says it all. Let's end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016
There's a reason the image is no longer displayed in the tweet: the licensed photo was taken by a refugee who fled Cyprus during the Turkish occupation in 1974. The man, now living in Britain, said he'd never take Trump's money to use the photo.
