I’m sure it’s been done elsewhere, but this is the only time I’ve come across a wrapper for this particular confectionery combination. Yes, from out of the 1990’s and Cadbury’s New Zealand branch, this treat served up an ordinary chocolate bar infused with fruit-flavored “jelly worms”.
These days, the idea of a short-run licensed candy bar or candy bar tie-in with a film or television show is not all that uncommon. In the 1970’s it was all-but-unheard of, at least in this country. In the UK however, they’ve been creating limited run licensed candy tie-ins since the 1960’s.
As we head into the summer months, thoughts of going to the beach, the pool or the park (or just about anywhere outside) fill my head. When I think back to the candy I picked up during some of my 1980’s summers, Willy Wonka’s Watermelon jawbreakers certainly come to mind.
A few years ago, I created and posted a 1970’s Hot Tamales Kid themed holiday message on Flickr, and on that little graphic, I imagined cinnamon-and-apple-flavored Hot Tamales candies. It was a fanciful idea that I thought I invented. But it turns out that a cinnamon apple product from Just Born was actually a real product…all the way back in 1979.
After yesterday’s article on the 30th Anniversary of E.T., and the subsequent coverage of Reese’s Pieces, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to cover one of the most prescient Wacky Packages stickers ever; a parody of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups called – you guessed it – Pieces.
Hershey - Reese's Pieces - ET Magic Motion Sticker - 1/2 pound candy bag - 1980's
I somehow missed that yesterday was the 30th Anniversary of the original release of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial – a classic film that contains a classic candy tie-in. That tie-in being Reese’s Pieces. A day late it might be, but today’s column will acknowledge and celebrate that anniversary and the candy-connection it created.
E.T. helped solidify Reese’s Pieces as a favorite among millions of kids, but did you know that it almost wasn’t Reese’s Pieces that would be used to lure that cute alien around?
As a candy collector, I’m routinely surprised by the things I find that I never knew existed. Typically this involves items that were made twenty and thirty years ago, sometimes even further back. But occasionally something comes to me that isn’t that old at all, but still slaps me across the face with how cool and unexpected it is.
Such is the case with a limited edition M&M’s Almond package from 2006. I believe this one originated from M&M’s GCC division in Dubai, and the package design and colors are gorgeous.
Dubai - Mars GCC - M&M's Almond Limited Edition candy package - 2006
Only a few days ago I posted an extensive Rolo Roundup, and somehow while bringing together dozens of foreign and domestic wrappers spread across seven decades, I missed a few. Trying to keep so many wrappers in so many spots straight isn’t always easy, even for me. So, please accept my apology and enjoy this look at the Rolos that somehow slipped through the cracks last week. They’re pretty neat.
I’m going to start with my favorite of those that I missed. The Rolo Licorice flavored Limited Edition..
One of the reasons this site exists at all is that the visuals of candy history are typically short in supply, and oftentimes lost forever. It’s unusual to come upon a vintage photo of candy, let alone an actual wrapper or box. So, when you find a historical confectionery photo, it can be a lot of fun, especially when it’s a photo of a fully populated sales rack of candy.
Today, I’m presenting a two-page article from a 1975 candy trade magazine, which includes three great photos in service of the topic of merchandising.
As you can see, these two pages are just loaded with awesome 1970’s candy imagery. I’m going to present a close-up of each, with a few comments to follow.
The Aero bar is a well-known treat in the UK as well as in Canada, but here in the United States, it remains relatively unknown. But that almost wasn’t the case, back in the late 1980’s. [Edit: The US release of Aero actually took place in 1993.]
While I plan to delve into the deeper history of Aero at some point, today I want to focus on one aspect of Aero history I never knew about until recently – that being that in the late 1980’s, Nestle briefly produced and sold the Aero bar for US markets.
I’m not sure if this was a regional test market release, or if it was available across the country and simply didn’t catch on. I don’t recall seeing it back then, and I’ve never come across a wrapper for one before, so it couldn’t have been around too much.
Without further discussion, today it is my pleasure to reveal a wrapper for the brief American run of Nestle’s Aero. Continue reading
