Skittles announces 'Rotten Zombie' flavor with Halloween still two months away

Skittles is hopping on the Halloween bandwagon a little early this year with a brand-new "Zombie" flavor. Yes, you read that correctly — candy consumers will have the chance to find out what rotting human flesh tastes like for ... reasons. Ghoulish members of the undead have been snacking on our skin and brains for years, so it was only a matter of time until humanity's chance for some sweet sweet revenge came along.

The new product was announced at the end of July, and it's absolutely insane that such a development has received so little coverage in the days since. Naturally, the entire pack of Zombie Skittles won't be a collection of fetid-tasting confections. Rather, you'll get five normal flavors — Petrifying Citrus Punch, Mummified Melon, Boogeyman Blackberry, Chilling Black Cherry, and Blood Red Berry — with the rotten zombie Skittle hiding somewhere among them. It's a lot like the Beanboozled Challenge from Jelly Belly mixed with Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans from Harry Potter with a nice little horror twist.

"Our fans love Skittles not just for its delicious fruity flavors, but for the irreverence and sense of humor for which the brand is known," said Rebecca Duke, Skittles senior brand manager, Mars Wrigley U.S, in a statement. "This Halloween, we wanted to give our fans the ultimate rotten twist on the candy they know and love, challenging them to test their bravery over a bag of Zombie Skittles."

Credit: Mars inc. 

While All Hallows' Eve is still more than two months away, Skittles is already daring fans to undertake the #DareTheRainbow Challenge. "It's quite simple," reads the press release. "Those brave enough to try Zombie Skittles are encouraged to gather a group of friends, record their experience as they try — and eventually taste — the hidden zombie flavor, and then share on Instagram using #DareTheRainbow and @skittles."

The Zombie Skittles launch this Halloween (no exact date was given) in three convenient sizes: Share Size ($1.89), Lay Down Bag ($2.49), and Fun Size Bag ($2.99). If Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, and Norman Reedus aren't tapped to play their Walking Dead counterparts in an irreverent and surreal TV commercial hawking these things, the universe has truly failed us all.