Candy Brands: Wonka
As you can probably guess, the Willy Wonka Candy Company began as a tie-in to the release of the film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Breaker Confections licensed the name “Willy Wonka” in 1971 to capitalize on the film’s merchandising potential then changed its name to Willy Wonka Brands in 1980. Nestlé then bought the company in 1988 and has owned it ever since. It is now known simply as Wonka.
The official WWW (Willy Wonka website) is wonka.com, but, much like the elusive Candy Man himself, there’s not a lot of information to be gleaned regarding the company. You can, however, learn what candy’s out now and what’s coming up next, or you can paint pictures using Nerds in their NERDoodler studio.
Wonka has perhaps some of the most recognizable non-chocolate candy varieties: Everlasting Gobstoppers®, Fruit Runts®, SweeTarts®, PixyStix®, LIK-M-AID® Fun Dip, Laffy Taffy®, Spree® and BottleCaps®. You can also find Wonka® Bars in Europe mostly but sadly no Scrumpdiddlyumptious Bar.
Ah, Willy Wonka. Bless him and his sweet, sweet candy. The company’s slogan captures our thoughts exactly: What will he think of next?
Candy Brands: Tootsie
All I want is a piece of chocolate candy that won't melt easily in the heat ... lucky for me, and millions of other candy consumers, Leo Hirshfield had the same idea! Hirshfield founded Tootsie Roll Industries in a small shop in New York City. The Tootsie Roll candy got its name after the nickname of his daughter, Clara "Tootsie" Hirshfield.
Originating in 1896, The Tootsie Roll Industries is now based in Chicago, Illinois as one of the country's largest candy companies. Among some of Tootsie's most popular candy names are:Read more
Candy Brands: HARIBO
Maybe it's our sense of whimsy ... Maybe it's our roots as hunter/gatherers ... whatever the explanation, whether you prefer a handful of cheesy goldfish or a fresh box of animal crackers, there is no denying the fun in biting into something that could bite you back.
The gummi bear is arguably the king of critter-shaped snacks, and HARIBO, a German confectionary company founded in 1920, proudly distinguishes itself from the candy masses as the original creator of these malleable mammals. Today, HARIBO is the biggest manufacturer of gummy and jelly candies in the world.
The gummi bear, (known as Gummibar or rubber bear in German), was created after World War II and introduced in the 1960s under the brand Gold-Bears. An instant success, the product has since seen several flavor and shape variations, with brand extensions such as Snack-packs, Roulettes, and Happy Cola. More intriguing sub-brands like Starmix, Tangfastics, Kiddies Supermix, Maoam and Strawbs can be found abroad. The candy even inspired a late 80s television show, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (though I personally found that to be the least palatable of the brand's many extensions).
Although Trolli and many others have created formidable gummi competition, the original Gold Bears, with their iconic gold, red and black packaging, have dominated their space for a half-century and show no signs of slowing down. After all, as the tagline says, "kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of HARIBO."
And if you were wondering, there is a reason why HARIBO appears in all-caps; the name is an acronym--borrowing the first two letters of the founder's first and last name, Hans Riegel, as well as the first two letters of the location of the corporate headquarters in Bonn, Germany.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook