CANDY & SWEETS

It may not seem like an intuitive pairing, but candy and fitness get along rather well, apparently.

Last year saw performance energy drinks C4 and GHOST expand their use of licenses with their respective partners; for the former, that meant launching a Starburst flavor to complement its existing Skittles branded SKU. Meanwhile, GHOST, which counts Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish and Warheads among its licensing contracts, has continued to circulate those flavors through both its RTD and powder drink lines. Beyond the taste, those products help tap into nostalgic feelings and retro vibes for millennial and Gen X consumers, according to a report from functional ingredient maker Prinova, which lists retro candy and fruity cereals as flavor trends for 2023. T. Hasegawa reports that 17% of consumers seek beverages with nostalgic flavors for new flavor experimentation, while 46% choose nostalgic flavors specifically for dessert or confections.

That approach isn’t without some risks, however. GHOST was recently the subject of a complaint letter from advertising watchdog group Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health at the University of Connecticut urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to act against the drink maker for using kid-friendly candy brands on drinks intended for healthy adults only.

Which makes one wonder – is it worse to package healthier products with indulgent flavors and sell them to adults, or to make bad tasting, less nutritious products, and sell them to kids? Stay tuned for flavor trends 2024.