“Sour. Sweet. Gone.” is the slogan advertised by the Sour Patch Kids brand of multi-flavored candies and now, with the recent announcement that this super-popular candy is available in limited edition packages of Just Blue and Just Red, Sour Patch Kids are sure to be “gone” off store shelves as fast as they are stocked. Just Blue, which is the ultra-favored flavor of blue raspberry, or Just Red, which rumor has it is the classically appealing taste of cherry, are set to hit the shelves of select 7-Eleven stores, and has Sour Patch Kids fans hoping this new release goes “viral” with availability in more stores and online at candy retailers like Candy Warehouse.
These colorful candies, which became instantly popular with their sweetly sour palate-pleasing flavors, were born in the 1970s, created by Frank Galatolie of Jaret International who named the mouthwatering treats Mars Men. During the late-70s, Cadbury and the Malaco Licorice Company of Sweden formed the Allen Candy Company in Canada which then produced the candies, and in 1985, the sweet and sour treats entered the US market under the name Sour Patch Kids.
After changing hands again to the Cadbury-Adams firm in the 1990s, Sour Patch Kids finally found a home with Mondelez International, Inc, a multi-national confectionery food company which produces the chewy sweet and sour candies under Post Consumer Holdings, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Over the years, the Sour Patch Kids brand has expanded into varieties such as Sour Patch Xploderz, Watermelon, Kid’s Extreme, Berries, and in January 2019, Post introduced Sour Patch Kids flavored cereal, all of which has garnered the iconic candies an Instagram following of almost 300,000 loyal fans. The popularity of the brand even spilled over into the gaming world when World Gone Sour, a video game based on the Sour Patch Kids, debuted in 2011.
Color-coded candy isn’t a novel idea, as other brands such as Starburst have offered products in single color only packaging, and when All-Pink Starburst hit the market, it was an instant hit. These marketing strategies are lucrative for the candy business but also makes it easy for customers to get just the flavor they want, decorate for a party with color coordination, or even stand for a cause. Customers can buy this uni-color candy in bulk and “light it up in blue” with all-blue Sour Patch Kids for autism awareness month or pass around packages of all-red candies for heart disease and HIV/AIDS awareness.
Quite simply, for those who despise digging through a multi-flavored package to find the one taste they crave, the new release offers an option to have a bag full of just what they want.
Since their inception, Sour Patch Kids have been highly favored mouthwatering treats for moviegoers, bodybuilders, and athletes who need a jolt to the senses, and are as popular with adults as they are with children. It’s a candy brand with a long history of pleasing palates and setting trends that is sure to continue.
