Skittles Giant Gooey

Mars Wrigley has unwrapped its “most ambitious NPD to date” in the form of Skittles Giants Gooey.

The innovation sees soft, fruit-flavoured giant candy filled with a gooey citrus core, meeting the trend for unexpected tastes, while capitalising on the growth in fruit-inspired confectionary which has seen the category increase at a CAGR of 4.3% (Nielsen). Half of all Skittles Giants Gooey sales and 60% of shoppers are expected to be incremental to the category, Mars Wrigley predicts. A 109g treat bag with a £1.35 pricemark is currently available in the impulse channel, with a 125g sharing pouch (RRP £1.35) rolling out across grocery, discounters, and digital channels on 17th June. Each bag offers five popular fruit flavours - Strawberry, Lime, Lemon, Blackcurrant and Orange. 

The launch of Skittles Giants Gooey will be supported by a fully integrated marketing campaign, including paid and earned media, OOH and sampling, to raise awareness, encourage trial and drive purchase. 

Alice Maramotti, Skittles brand manager, said: “We have a track record of pushing flavour, taste and texture boundaries to help drive category innovation, excitement and growth. 

“Last year we had Skittles Desserts and before that, Skittles Squishy Cloudz in Fruits and Crazy Sours flavours. These unique tastes and textures sit at the heart of our innovation pipeline and bring a sense of fun to the category. 

“Skittles Giants Gooey is the next major chapter in our innovation story, offering an impactful twist on a favourite SKU and taking our NPD strategy to the next level. By extending the Skittles Giants range, for which 40% of shoppers are incremental to the category [Mars Wrigley], we will drive frequency and penetration among shoppers looking for a flavour adventure with a burst of intensity.”