This Year, Sweethearts Candies Are Giving Us a Much-Needed Pep Talk
We could all use a 'High Five' or 'Way 2 Go' this Valentine’s Day.
Photo courtesy of Sweethearts Candies
There’s something delightfully retro about the messages stamped on Sweethearts Candies. “Be Mine,” “Cutie Pie,” “Hug Me:” Those messages are Valentine’s Day classics.
But every year since the early 1990s, the candy brand, which traces its origins back to at least 1902 (the candy heart concept dates back even further, to the 1860s), has updated the messages printed on its hearts with an eye toward the now. That’s presumably how “Call Me” morphed into “Fax Me” morphed into “Text Me.”
In 2021, the brand, which was acquired in 2018 (and revived after a brief break) by Spangler Candy Company, looked to classic love songs for inspiration, adding hearts with messages like “At Last,” “I Got U Babe” and “Lean on Me.”
This year, the Sweethearts brand is channeling the vibe of the times by adding candy-heart messages grouped around a theme that seems perfect for 2022: “Words of Encouragement.”
Inside boxes of Sweethearts candy, people will find 16 inspiring new sayings, including “Way 2 Go,” “Crush It” and “High Five.”
Other uplifting new messages, according to a brand video, include “Proud of U,” “Youda Best,” “Fear Less,” “Super Star,” “Big Fan,” “Don’t Quit,” “Be You” and “Go 4 It.”
Aimed not just at romantic interests, but also at “teachers, mentors and coaches” as well as “family, friends, teammates and countless other difference-makers,” according to the brand, this season’s Sweethearts — which are on sale nationwide through Valentine’s Day — are designed “to show recipients just how special they are, give their spirits a lift and say a special thank you” to those who’ve helped you “do and become [your] best.”
“From the beginning, our candies have delighted while serving a purpose. They give people a playfully affectionate way to express to friends, family, and other important people in our lives how special they are,” Diana Eschhofen, director of corporate communications for Spangler Candy Company, Sweethearts’ family-owned maker, said in a news release. “Words of encouragement are timeless and relevant for people of all generations, just like Sweethearts Candies, which have been shared amongst family and friends for 120 years.”
Sweetheart is also offering you a chance to nominate the positive people in your life (“coach, teacher, mentor, sibling, parent …”) at SweetheartsCandies.com. The company will randomly select 500 nominees to send a free box of candy hearts and a special card on behalf of the person who nominated them.
By the way, if you’ve ever wondered about the flavors of the different colored hearts, they are: Wintergreen, Orange, Lemon-Lime, Blueberry, Banana, Grape and Cherry.
And you thought they all just tasted like sugar and love …
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