Skittles is getting skewered on social media over its decision to launch limited edition packaging that eschews its rainbow-colored candies for an alternate look that features, in one case, the new marketing slogan: “Black Trans Lives Matter.”
In its fourth year partnering with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Skittles opted for something different.
“This Pride Month, we’re amplifying stories within the LGBTQ+ community for all to discover,” Skittles said on its website. “We begin by showcasing the designs of five talented artists on our Skittles Pride Packs, each with their own story to tell.”
The reaction on social media is something akin to the flak that Bud Light received after it launched a marketing campaign with Dylan Mulvaney, known for detailing her gender transition in daily videos on TikTok. Anheuser-Busch, which owns Bud Light, lost $390 million in U.S. sales in the aftermath.
On Thursday, Anheuser-Busch said sales to American retailers was down 14%.
It’s a connection that wasn’t lost on some of the social media posts aggregated by the Daily Mail.
“More Bud Light moments … Will it ever end …?” one person posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
“So giving them the Bud Light treatment,” another posted.
Skittles said it is donating $1 per every Skittles Pride Pack to GLAAD to help support combatting anti-LGBTG+ discrimination, up to $100,000.