This year, the Just Born company is continuing its roll-out of new holiday packages with all-new Valentine’s box designs for Hot Tamales as well as Mike and Ike. In addition to taking a smoldering good look at those, today I’ll be showcasing past Just Born Valentine’s packaging going all the way back to 2002!
Though I suspect that Just Born produced Valentine’s Day-themed packages for their brands before this, the earliest hard evidence of I have of them is from 2002, and this promotional sales flyer:
Just Born – Hot Tamales – Mike and Ike – Valentine treats – promotional sales flyer – 2002
Included on that flyer is a themed bulk bag of Hot Tamales as well as fun-size Valentine’s Mike and Ike candies. My favorite piece pictured is the 8 ounce Mike and Ike “Valentine Treats” box:
Just Born – Mike and Ike Valentine’s Treats – 8oz candy box close-up image – 2002
2003-2004 was a period when Just Born gave their candy lineup a significant packaging redesign and refresh, which was reflected in their promotional materials for the 2004 Valentine’s season. As seen on this two-sided flyer:
Just Born – Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, Zours Valentine Candy cards stats – Valentine’s catalog pages 2004
At this point the then-new Zours brand was included in the Valentine’s Day fun. The holiday packaging format pictured here is similar to the Sweet Sorybook style first used with Life Savers but now commonplace across many brands.
Just Born – Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, Zours Valentine Candy cards – Valentine’s catalog pages 2004
The earliest Just Born Valentine’s piece in my collection comes from a few years later, 2008 – and a shorter-style 4 ounce box:
JustBorn-Hot-Tamales-Valentines-Day-box-2008
The following year, Mike and Ike would get their 9 ounce “holiday medley” packs including one for Valentine’s Day:
Just Born – Mike and Ike Valentine’s Medley – 9 oz candy package – 2009
My first encounter with full-sized Valentine’s boxes for Hot Tamales or Mike and Ike wouldn’t come until 2012 when I found the following Hot Tamales “Untamed Love Mix” box – featuring some pretty cool fire graphics:
Just Born – Hot Tamales Untamed Love Mix – 6oz Valentine’s candy box – 2012
I don’t know if Mike and Ike had a similar release that year as I never found one if they did. I do know that the following year, Hot Tamales Untamed Love Mix returned with an updated logo style and in the now-standard 5 ounce box – it was joined by a similar Mike and Ike Passion Mix:
Just-Born-Hot-Tamales-Untamed-Love-Mix-5-oz-candy-box-Valentines-Holiday-2013
Just Born – Mike and Ike Passion Mix – 5 oz Valentine’s candy box – 2013
This brings us all the way up to now, and the current Valentine’s offerings. As I pointed out at the top of today’s post, Just Born has been updating their standard and holiday packaging over the past year. We’ve gotten new versions of their Halloween packs as well as their Christmas editions so it should come as little surprise that we are getting brand new Valentine’s packaging this year. They’re pretty great and here they are:
Just Born – Hot Tamales Hottie – 5oz Valentine’s candy box – 2014
Just Born – Mike and Ike Passion Mix – 5 oz Valentine’s candy box – 2014
The new Valentine’s Hot Tamales box with it’s “Hottie” logo is a clever stroke of wordplay and a perfect contemporary take on a Valentine’s candy package.
And that’s everything for today and my coverage of the new Valentine’s Hot Tamales & Mike and Ike boxes for 2014!
See you next time!
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