Here at Primary Design, Inc. we take our candy pretty seriously. We even have an office candy jar which must be stocked at all times. But if you want candy around here you need to act fast, because just as soon as it’s filled, the jar is empty again! With Halloween upon us, we wanted to impart some of our candy-loving knowledge based on the two factors that are most important to us – packaging design and, of course, flavor. Here is a rundown of our favorites and least favorites:
Our Favorites
Hershey’s Bars
The large H-E-R-S-H-E-Y’S letters are easily some of the most recognizable in the candy aisle. Throughout the years there have been countless refreshes, but the basic essence of the Hershey’s brand has remained. The Classic Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and The Milk Chocolate with Almonds epitomize this with their tall, stately sliver lettering and floods of rich, chocolate brown. Not only is the outside packaging branded with the Hershey’s logo but every rectangular break-away-able chocolaty morsel on the inside is too. We can’t help but smile when thinking about this delightful chocolaty goodness.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
The perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter; you really can’t get any better. The packaging is so bold that it has great visibility and recognition even from a distance. The bright orange, yellow and dark brown colors seem to scream Halloween! While the cursive font of the Reese’s implies a smooth buttery taste. Overall this is truly a classic Halloween treat.
Candy Necklaces
These gems take “Form meets function” to another level. What? I can eat this candy AND wear it?! Two please, for a matching necklace and bracelet ensemble.
Swedish Fish
A gummy that looks like a fish and tastes like a strawberry! The bright yellow and cyan wrapper with the bold red name/logo on the front elicits a youthful and playful feel. And who doesn’t like to pretend that they’re a big fish in a small pond!
Toblerone
Triangular packaging reflects the mountainous Swiss origins of this unique bar. The distinct packaging makes this scrumptious milk chocolate-honey-almond-nougat bar stand out among a sea of brown rectangles. The one-of-a-kind shape, along with the inside foil wrap, lets you know each Toblerone is indeed a treat for the upscale chocolate lover. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of these at Halloween, run home, change your mask, and go back for more!
Our Least Favorites
Warheads
There is a reason why this candy comes individually packaged as the package clearly depicts what will happen if you eat it. With its cartoony character and “EXTREME” warnings this packaging is clearly aimed for kids who dare each other to eat it. However, for adults it serves as a warning to STAY AWAY! Somehow Warheads made it into our office candy jar, but to no-one’s surprise they usually remain untouched at the bottom of the candy jar while we’re waiting for another fill-up.
Charleston Chew
Clunky type, unattractive color combinations. But the taste will make up for it, right? Yeah, right. Enough said.
SkyBar
Maybe the poor packaging begins with the poorly named product. Four milk chocolate “compartments” containing vanilla, caramel, peanut and fudge. Why SkyBar?! To be fair, the candy was introduced using a dramatic skywriting campaign, but is the campaign really the reason behind the name? And if you call your candy “SkyBar”, why not consider sky blue in the packaging, instead of bright yellow? The latest version of the packaging does introduce blue stripes in a limited fashion, along with typography that tries to be hip, but isn’t quite there.
100 Grand
This candy bar was originally known as the $100,000 Bar. As a part of its identity during the 1970’s, the packaging featured the high dollar amount in big, juicy characters akin to what you may see on a 70’s game show. To complete the game homage, the $100,000 name was wrapped in a string of “marquee” lights. Somewhere along the way, someone got the brilliant idea to change the name from $100,000 to 100 GRAND. The marquee lights were removed as was the delightfully cheesy perception that somehow a 10 yr. old was paying $100,000 for a candy bar. Maybe a confection of higher quality could have weathered the storm better, but the 100 GRAND Bar, with its watered down identity and average taste, is relegated to a secondary position among candy bars.
Our list may or may not agree with your tastes, but hopefully we gave you some things to think about when you’re walking down the candy aisle this Halloween. Let us know what your favorites are! We’re always looking for new candy to stock our jar with!
Happy Halloween and Safe Candy-Devouring!
