CHICAGO — Ferrara is bringing innovation across its cookie and candy portfolios and bringing back some seasonal classics in time for Halloween. The company has also launched its first-ever augmented reality (AR) experience featuring the Ghostbusters franchise.
Candy Corn
As the No. 1 producer of candy corn—Ferrara holds 85% market share, according to IRI data—the brand has innovated with new flavors, shapes and line extensions. New items include:
- Brach’s Mellowcreme Caramel Apples offers a sweet seasonal favorite featuring apple-shaped candy corn with a top layer of soft caramel flavor followed by another layer of either sweet red apple or tangy green apple.
- Brach’s Skulls & Bones is a combination of dark chocolate sea salt skulls and caramel bones mixed with sweet banana and traditional candy-corn pieces.
- Brach’s Turkey Dinner Candy Corn provides a full-course Thanksgiving meal in a mix of candy-corn flavors.
- Brach’s Sour Haunted Tropics Candy Corn features a blend of six tropical flavors with a tangy twist, including watermelon, pineapple, banana, kiwi, mango and tropical punch.
Fun-Sized Offerings
Ferrara also introduced a line of individually wrapped cookie and candy treats in a variety of sizes in trick-or-treat bags. These bags include:
- Seasonal cookie shapes: Mother’s Halloween Circus Animal Cookies are a limited-edition batch of treats featuring vanilla shortbread-based bat and cat shapes and covered in orange and white icing and sprinkles.
- Fun-sized combinations: Ferrara combines Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers Minis and Keebler Fudge Stripe Minis Cookies together in one bag.
- Individually wrapped candies: Now candy fans can enjoy Big Chewy Nerds and Trolli Crunchy Crawlers in treat-sized bags, among other product offerings.
“As a leader in seasonal sweet snacking, we’re always innovating with trends and fun flavors,” said Mariah Havens, senior brand manager of seasonal marketing. “From unusual flavor combinations like our new Turkey Dinner Candy Corn offering to creating a candy that hallmarks the flavors of fall, combining caramel and apple in a mellowcreme, our new and traditional treats provide the perfect way to welcome fall and celebrate the season with family and friends.”
Hunting Ghosts at Home
Meanwhile, with families seeking new ways to embark on their annual trick-or-treating traditions and hunt for candy, Ferrara has collaborated with Sony Pictures, home of the Ghostbusters franchise, to develop “Haunted Candy Hunt,” a ghost-hunting AR game.
In the game, players can use their phones to log onto www.ghosthuntntrap.com and troll around their living rooms, kitchens and backyards in search of the ghost Slimer from the classic Ghostbusters films, as well as a new character created exclusively for the game, Sweeter the Ferrara Candy Ghost. Users can capture the ghosts virtually for the chance to win fun prizes each week, including the Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series and Kenner Series action figures, as well as a grand prize of a Sony home theater package.
“While Halloween may look different this year, now more than ever consumers are seeking out new ways to enjoy Halloween traditions and celebrate the season,” Havens said. “This year, we’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures and the iconic Ghostbusters franchise to offer a virtual spin on the classic neighborhood trick-or-treating experience. This augmented reality game allows fans to hunt for candy, ghosts and more.”
Chicago-based Ferrara is a Ferrero Group company. Its portfolio includes nearly 35 brands, including SweeTarts, Trolli, Brach’s, Black Forest, Nerds and more.
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