NEW SKUs
Borrowing from M&M’s brand’s biggest equities of shape and color, Mars Snackfood US, Hackettstown, N.J., has rolled out a line of frozen novelties. M&M’S Ice Cream Treats mirror the look of classic M&M’S candies. Each bar contains vanilla ice cream covered in a chocolaty coating, then dipped in a chocolaty colored shell (red, green, or blue). The product is available throughout the United States in single or multi-packs of five bars at $1.49 and $3.99, respectively. Every treat contains a riddle on the stick from the popular M&M’S "spokescandies" red and yellow. The answers, hidden beneath the ice cream, can only be solved upon finishing all three layers of coatings and ice cream. "We are really excited to launch M&M’S Ice Cream Treats and make them the summer’s coolest treat," said Craig Hall, General Manager, Ice Cream, Mars Snackfood US. "M&M’S Ice Cream Treats are bringing the classic fun and color that consumers associate with M&M’S Chocolate Candies to the ice cream aisle and freezers around the country."
Coke Extends Contour Bottle
Coca-Cola North America, Atlanta, Ga., is test marketing its iconic Coke contour bottle in a large 2-liter size in two cities in the United States— Birmingham, Ala., and Chattanooga, Tenn. In recent consumer tests, the new bottle was preferred overwhelmingly over the traditional, straight-wall 2-liter container. In addition to its shape and aesthetics, the new bottle is easier to hold and easier to pour. Birmingham and Chattanooga also will benefit from special recycling initiatives that Coca-Cola and the bottler have created to commemorate the introduction of the new package. In Birmingham, the two companies are donating contour bottle-shaped recycle bins to The McWane Science Center as part of a major recycling initiative. Chattanooga will receive contour bottle-shaped recycling bins for Signal Mountain High School and Heritage High School, set to open in the fall.Frito-Lay Goes Nuts … Naturally
Frito-Lay Goes Nuts … Naturally
Frito-Lay, Plano, Texas, is utilizing its salty snacks expertise to launch a new brand of all-natural nut snacks. TrueNorth snacks have 5 g of protein in each 1-oz serving. They come in three varieties: Nut Clusters—freshly roasted nuts, toasted almonds, or pecans-almonds-peanuts in crunchy clusters; Nut Crisps—baked crackers with peanuts, almonds, or pistachios; and Nut Crunches—oven-baked bite-size snacks with an outer crunchy coating. Crunches are available in honey wheat peanut and toasted sesame peanut. All are packaged in a stand-up pouch. "While consumer demand for the nut category continues to be positive, the options have been limited and uninspiring," said Regan Ebert, Vice President, General Manager, Frito-Lay North America. "TrueNorth creates nut snacking options that range from reinventing the traditional to new twists that feature nuts as a crisp, which is reminiscent of a cracker."TrueNorth nut snacks began rolling out in the first quarter of 2008 for $3.29 per bag. Club stores carry a 24-oz stand-up pouch for $7.88.