Skittles brings the color back for this year’s Pride packaging

Since 2017 – and probably before that, too – Skittles has been an outspoken and open ally for the LGBTQ+ community thanks to outreach and donations, often around Pride in June. And this year, they’re thankfully going full rainbow for their Pride packs – as well as continuing to donate money, and anchor Pride celebrations all around the country.

"We know the LGBTQ+ community is one that is comprised of strong, dynamic individuals with a wide array of interests and passions," said Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Wrigley North America, via a press release provided to Guilty Eats. "Our SKITTLES Pride pack and community celebrations are intended to inspire moments of everyday happiness by celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in a way that lets all unique colors shine."

To take a step back, in 2017 Skittles took the well-meaning but a little confusing tact of removing the color from their candies. The idea was that the only rainbow that mattered was the Pride rainbow. So as to not outshine that, they released bags of white candies. They did the same thing in 2020, except this time the candy was gray, which was… Weirder? The whole thing, again, was meant with best intentions, but generally was met with a lot of “huh wait what happened to my Skittles?” from fans of the candy, versus creating a conversation around Pride as was perhaps intended.

Things improved a bit in 2022 and 2023 when the company contracted Queer artists to makeover the still mostly gray bags, to give them a pop of color. Nice, but the Skittles were still gray so surprisingly drab for a brand known for the slogan “Taste the rainbow.”

Now, after years of colorless Skittles during Pride, things are back the way they probably should have been all along, with colored bags, colored Skittles, and some great art. The 2024 Pride pack, per the release, was “designed in partnership with female & minority-owned production company, NERD Productions and their talented LGBTQ+ artists.” And not only that, but Skittles will donate up to $100,000 – $1 for every bag sold up to that level – to GLAAD, which supports visibility for LGBTQ+ communities.

If you want to get in on the act, you can too – beyond buying a bag of Skittles. Again partnering with GLAAD, they’re launching a Pride Month Donor Matching Campaign. If you donate, you can get a hip pack featuring the same design as on the hip pack. And Skittles will match donations up to $25k, with the first 500 donors with a gift of $75 or more receiving a hip pack filled with Skittles, and personalized patches. Do not, we cannot stress this enough, eat the personalized patches. Thanks.

"2024 is our fifth year partnering with SKITTLES, and we are thrilled by their unwavering support of the LGBTQ community," said Raymond Dooley, VP of Marketing at GLAAD. "Here at GLAAD, we are proud to help the brand create connections for everyone this Pride, and always." 

There’s plenty more coming from the brand… While Pride lasts all of June, Skittles will follow the release of the new Pride pack with a full year of celebrations to help local groups “See the Rainbow.” And in fact, they’re sponsoring several local groups including The Queer Big Apple Corps in New York, Reeling Film Festival in Chicago, Urban Bird Collective in Minneapolis, Bay Area Derby in the Bay Area (of course), and Las Vegas Gaymers.

Just to spitball, sounds like someone at Skittles finally said, “hey, can we stop overcomplicating this?” And laudably so! Happy Pride, Skittles, and thanks for bringing back the rainbow!