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Skittles Speaks Out On Trayvon Martin Tragedy

9:45 pm - 03/29/2012

Trayvon Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a can of Arizona iced tea when he was brutally murdered by self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman. Various sites and activists made a call to action to start sending empty Skittles packets to the police chief in Sanford, Bill Lee.

We all waited to see what Skittles would do because this case directly impacts their brand. And Skittles has spoken. In a statement, a spokeswoman for Skittles said:


“We are deeply saddened by the news of Trayvon Martin’s death and express our sincere condolences to his family and friends. We also respect their privacy and feel it inappropriate to get involved or comment further as we would never wish for our actions to be perceived as an attempt of commercial gain following this tragedy.” source

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iconnu 30th-Mar-2012 01:05 pm (UTC)
That's a classy response right there.
world_dancer 30th-Mar-2012 01:07 pm (UTC)
Considering the pressure on them to say something, I think this statement is the wisest thing they could have said.
thelilyqueen 30th-Mar-2012 02:17 pm (UTC)
Yup, though I'm having a bit of a 'what an odd modern world we live in' moment over the fact Skittles was even pressured to say anything publicly. The Skittles are incidental to what happened, and unless there are secretly high tech paper thin cameras imbedded in Skittles bags that recorded the attack, it's not like they can really add anything to the case.
cadetsandkings 30th-Mar-2012 03:42 pm (UTC)
Ditto.
muppetfromhell 30th-Mar-2012 01:09 pm (UTC)
random question - why does no one seem to care what arizona ice tea thinks of this?
hinoema 30th-Mar-2012 01:15 pm (UTC)
Maybe because it has 'Arizona' on the tin, even though it's not made here? IDK.
lizrocks 30th-Mar-2012 01:15 pm (UTC)
No because that stuff is groce.
radiovolume 1st-Apr-2012 03:06 am (UTC)
You don't know black people if you think Arizona is not a recognizable brand.
gagglefuck 30th-Mar-2012 01:47 pm (UTC)
Maybe because it's not as popular or well-known. I've honestly never heard of it until I read about this case.
radiovolume 1st-Apr-2012 03:07 am (UTC)
False.
gagglefuck 1st-Apr-2012 05:03 am (UTC)
My mistake.
radiovolume 1st-Apr-2012 05:04 am (UTC)
It's not that serious. IDK why I got oddly zealous about it, lol.
gagglefuck 1st-Apr-2012 05:12 am (UTC)
Oh no I realized that just bc I've never heard of it doesn't mean it's not popular. My dad never bought us any soft drinks or anything other than juice or water tbh because he thought they were poison. lol
radiovolume 1st-Apr-2012 05:17 am (UTC)
Totally understand. TBH I think it was more the comment above you. Arizona is kind of a stereotype, lol. Like, nicer corner stores won't sell it because it ~doesn't appeal~ to wealthier (whiter) clientele.
lidane 30th-Mar-2012 01:52 pm (UTC)
Arizona Iced Tea also released a statement:

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/03/22/skittles-speak-out-trayvon-martin-deeply-saddened

A spokeswoman for Arizona Iced Tea told HLN that the company would like to "express our sincere sympathies to Trayvon’s family and friends."

"At this time, we will make no further comment as we wish to respect the family’s privacy and grieving time and feel it is inappropriate to become involved in a private family matter," Arizona iced tea global communications director Jackie Harrington said in an emailed statement.
homasse 30th-Mar-2012 04:05 pm (UTC)
Classy response by both companies.
othellia 30th-Mar-2012 01:17 pm (UTC)
Probably the best response they could've had given the circumstances, so props to them.
wrestlingdog 30th-Mar-2012 01:34 pm (UTC)
Nicely put.
bleed_peroxide 30th-Mar-2012 02:00 pm (UTC)
Flawless response. Thank you for staying professional yet still sympathetic.
bnmc2005 30th-Mar-2012 02:44 pm (UTC)
We all waited to see what Skittles would do because this case directly impacts their brand.

I wasn't really, waiting but it's a nice statement.
per_simmon 30th-Mar-2012 02:44 pm (UTC)
True class. Well done, Skittles.
highflyer8 30th-Mar-2012 03:36 pm (UTC)
Way to stay classy Skittles. <----words I never thought I'd have a reason to say.
popehippo 30th-Mar-2012 04:37 pm (UTC)
Deja vu. I was just wondering if they'd said anything while checking out Tumblr. O_O
kyra_neko_rei 30th-Mar-2012 04:59 pm (UTC)
Can Skittles be elected to public office? They're so much better at this than most politicians.
silmaril 30th-Mar-2012 06:39 pm (UTC)
And here it is, gentlebeings, in a nutshell: The summary of the great tragedy of our times. The candy company really is better at that than most politicians and people whose jobs involve speaking to the public.

BRB, getting some Skittles from the machine downstairs.
tabaqui 31st-Mar-2012 05:17 am (UTC)
Plus fucking one.
angelofdeath275 30th-Mar-2012 05:06 pm (UTC)
Huh, I really like this response.
scolaro 30th-Mar-2012 05:51 pm (UTC)
Wow. Was bracing myself, but clearly there was no need.
Perfect response is perfect.
confectionqueen 30th-Mar-2012 07:15 pm (UTC)
Same - I was waiting for something horrible to be said, but this was the best thing for them to say.

You go Skittles.
nyxelestia 30th-Mar-2012 06:37 pm (UTC)
...now I know what to get from the aisle candy when I go shopping later. :)
maenads_dance 30th-Mar-2012 09:23 pm (UTC)
Who the fuck was waiting for a statement from Skittles? I mean, who sat down and thought: you know what this tragedy needs? The opinions of a candy manufacturer!
sihaya09 30th-Mar-2012 09:41 pm (UTC)
You'd be surprised, honestly.
terribilita 30th-Mar-2012 09:39 pm (UTC)
Toure made a few comments about this on Twitter, basically saying people should stop helping Skittles profit from this since Skittles is not using that profit to help Treyvon's family or any cause significant to this case.
angry_chick 30th-Mar-2012 10:02 pm (UTC)
This is a beautiful statement.
sitakhet 30th-Mar-2012 10:18 pm (UTC)
It's funny how celebs/politicians most likely pay their PR departments way more than Skittles does, and yet, they often fail to be half this classy.
hinoema 31st-Mar-2012 04:29 am (UTC)
Politicians: Forgetting to be Awesome and Increasing World Suck.
tabaqui 31st-Mar-2012 05:18 am (UTC)
Both companies said exactly the right thing. Pity that most of America can't follow in their footsteps.
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