The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1547447
48 VUENJ.COM gathering feedback from approximately 1,500 taste testers. e goal was simple: one bite should immediately feel familiar. at philosophy extends to packaging. Creme Savers retain their recognizable swirl, Bubble Jug still comes in its signature pink container, and Ouch! Bubble Gum keeps its memorable tin and bandage-inspired wrappers. e products must feel new enough for today while remaining instantly recognizable to the people who loved them first. Why Candy Stays With Us Candy oen becomes connected to the places and people surrounding it: the corner store, a vacation, a sleepover or the grandmother who always carried a favorite sweet in her handbag. Iconic Candy regularly hears from customers who associate its products with people and moments from their childhood. ose memories also help shape what the company brings back next. Fans have requested flavors and products online, with many of those suggestions eventually becoming part of the collection. Today, Iconic Candy products are sold at major retailers including Walmart, Target, 7-Eleven, and Walgreens. And increasingly, younger consumers are discovering products like Retro Sours and Bubble Jug without any nostalgia attached. To them, they are simply fun. Creating the Next Memory Now, aer years of restoring other people's creations, the family is launching something entirely new. rough a sister company, the team is introducing HOOLA, an original gummy-ring candy with tropical flavors including Peach Mango, Guava Passionfruit, Kiwi Strawberry, Piña Colada, and Pink Lemonade. e brand uses natural colors and flavors and is non-GMO, gluten-free, and halal certified. HOOLA is also women- owned and partners with 4ocean to support ocean cleanup and preservation. For Iconic Candy, the challenge is different this time. ere is no childhood memory to recreate. Not yet. Aer proving it can bring beloved candies of the past back to life, the family is now trying to create something consumers may someday feel nostalgic for themselves. And there are still more old favorites on the horizon. Iconic Candy already has at least two additional brand revivals planned for 2027. Somewhere, there is probably a candy you have not thought about in twenty years. If Iconic Candy has its way, you may not have to remember it for much longer.