#ThrowbackThursday The Rainbow!

Double candy shells, fruit flavors in the middle, strawberry, grape, orange, lemon, LIME!

Gotta be one candy that meets all of those descriptions!

It’s a very delicious Throwback Thursday, with a candy that makes no promise of not melting in your hand (it does, unfortunately), but does promote hanging out with your 1986 crew while indulging in “The Rainbow!”

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What colorful, fruity candy does this, you ask?

Why, click play and find out!

Mmmmm!

Snapshot

Skittles has been a product of Wrigley (a division of Mars, Inc.) since 1982 domestically, but have been available since 1974, when they were first manufactured by a British company.  The company’s invitation to “taste the rainbow” was created by the advertising agency  D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (they’re still around today, as is this famous slogan).

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In addition to the original flavors, there are now several different varieties of Skittles – Tropical (Rainforest), Wild Berry, and Tart-N-Tangy (all introduced in 1989), Crazy Cores (Sold in bulk stores in 2008), Confused (2008), Sour (2001 – the OG was Tart-N-Tangy, which was discontinued in 1992), Crazy Sours (United Kingdom only – replaced Tart-N-Tangy), Smoothie Mix, Ice Cream, Carnival, Unlimited, Double Sour, Extreme Fruit Gum, Mint, Extra Chewy Mint, Chocolate, Chocolate Mix, Liquorice, Citrus, Sensations, Fizzl’d Fruits, Blenders, Riddles, Darkside, Dessert, Orchards, Flavor Mash Ups, Sweets and Sours, America Mix, Cauldron, Brightside, Fruits and Sours, Pride Fruits, Trick Plays, Sweet Heat, Holiday Mix, Love Mix, and quite a few different limited and exclusive editions (Complete List).

Colorless bags of Skittles were created for Pride Month (June), 2016 in London.  Even with controversy (racism), the Colorless Skittles are produced every year for Pride since then.

skittles
Image: Time

My personal favorite Skittles are the sour kind, even though they really can burn the tongue with their sourness.  I also like the originals (especially putting a few in my mouth to mix the flavors).  It isn’t a candy I venture to often, but when I do, I really gotta have the sour ones.

I recently tried Zombie Skittles, which hadCitrus, Melon, Blackberry, Cherry, and Berry, with a surprise “rotten zombie” Skittle in each bag.  My co-worker brought them in for the office candy dish, and despite the “rotten zombie” surprise, which was quite the surprise, they were quite good!

skittleszombie
Image: KOTA TV (ABC Affiliate Station, Rapid City, South Dakota)

I really liked the other flavors and could oversee the chance of getting a nasty-tasting Skittle – it wasn’t terrible, but it was a strange taste that I can’t really describe.  I kept trying to convince people they “really needed to have a pack of Skittles, with the promise of a surprise flavor.”

I’m lucky that people like me at work, pushing packets of Skittles off on people like some kind of experiment.  I waited for the reaction the “rotten zombie” got every time I convinced someone to try them!

With all the varieties and exclusives, Skittles have a staying power not unlike M&M’s, which are just as rainbow-y as their chocolate cousins when they melt in your hands (yes, they do, admit it!).

Although I hope I never have Skittles Pox, that commercial is the absolute worst excuse for an advertising campaign.

I mean, “Contracting the Rainbow” sounds so appealing, doesn’t it?

From candy with taglines that should never imply diseases, we move on to a different topic, and a different kid, well-known for his ability to promote a product based on his attitude alone.

I never said it was a good attitude.

Until tomorrow, have a great Throwback Thursday!

 

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