Skittles Giants

Design: Straight Forward Design
Location: United Kingdom
Project Type: Produced
Client: Skittles
Product Launch Location: Global
Packaging Contents: Skittles
Packaging Substrate / Materials: Plastic

Mars Wrigley launches Skittles Giants across the UK – a larger-than-life, softer-centred version of its much-loved original fruit candies – with brand and packaging identity by Straight Forward Design.

Skittles, which first came onto the market in 1963, has a strong core range and is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. This year Mars Wrigley has introduced Giants to its portfolio to give new consumers and loyal followers something different and enticing to chew on, while ensuring high levels of energy and excitement around this iconic brand.

Mars Wrigley partnered with Straight Forward Design on Skittles’ first-ever ‘giant’ sub brand, which needed to strike the right balance between differentiation from the core brand and celebrating this new, unique product.

Dream big
Mike Foster, founder and creative director, Straight Forward Design, says: “Evolving the core brand for a new product is all about balance, especially with an established brand that’s already loved by so many people. It is important to treat it with due diligence and respect while still generating a buzz.

“Working within the existing Skittles brand architecture and colour palettes and hitting a sweet spot between the new and familiar are the keys to success. We know that consumers only scan supermarket shelves for a few short seconds, so it’s crucial that they’re able to find the product easily, understand immediately that it’s part of a core brand they already know and love, and then be given new reasons to connect.”

In order to achieve this, the familiar Skittles rainbow colourways are used in abundance. Images of the larger-scale candies dominate, the new ‘3 x Bigger!’ is headlined, and the Giant’s softer-centred texture is signposted to further entice, too.

Social whirl
Engaging social influencers was an important part of the launch strategy. To build excitement and gain traction, Straight Forward Design created a quirky influencer pack – a brightly branded box houses a series of Skittles-centric props to accentuate the big and small aspect of the Giants versus the original-sized product. Influencers can create fun scenes from tiny animal figurines and a miniscule magnifying glass, which will enable them to read the introductory card included in the box.

Mike Foster says: “Skittles Giants is a fun and whimsical product – people seem to be drawn to bigger and smaller versions of the things with which they’re already familiar – so it’s perfect for showcasing across social media and a great way to generate fresh interest and re-engage with existing fans.”

Brand guardians
Victoria Gell, fruity confections UK portfolio director, Mars Wrigley says: “Straight Forward Design has worked with us on Skittles’ for some time, and so has a deep understanding of how and why the brand connects with our consumers.

“As a result, the work on Skittles Giants feels like a natural but exciting evolution. The foundations of the core identity have been carefully looked after, so we’ve been able to develop new variants without compromising the integrity of the brand.”