Lately I have been reminiscing and craving an iconic treat from my childhood, the fantastic (and never forgotten) Butterfinger BB’s. They have, perhaps, one of the most memorable food advertising campaigns of the 1990s.
They were a perfect, bite-sized sweet snacking option. I loved to eat them during summertime road trips, as a movie theatre snack, and on occasion, stored in the freezer for another kind of BB experience. Although there are delicious Butterfinger Ice Cream Bars available in the snacking universe, nothing quite beats having a delightfully crunchy, spherical bite-sized blissful peanut butter chocolatey treat.
“Butterfinger generated sales of $598 million in 2010 and was ranked as one of the most popular candy bars in the world from 2007 to 2010. Nestle then sold the candy to Ferrero SPA for $2.8 billion in 2018. The company still retains ownership of the candy and had changed the recipe.” (Snack History).
Judging from some comments from an Instagram post featured on the official Butterfinger account, I am not alone in missing these legendary snacks!
One popular collaboration that Butterfinger has shared a successful business partnership with for almost 40 years is Dairy Queen, the beloved multinational fast food chain with franchises operating in over 20 countries (About Us, Dairy Queen). It is hard to pass up a visit to DQ without treating yourself to one of their legendary blizzards, and my favorite choices is their Butterfinger Blizzard Treat; a delicious and delightful way to enjoy the classic Butterfinger taste and crunch, with a magnificent soft serve twist.
“Partnering with a well-known brand such as Butterfinger can help operators appeal not only to young consumers who love the idea of a dessert that includes one of their favorite candy products, but also to older consumers who love the nostalgia of a dessert that brings back childhood memories.” (Nation’s Restaurant News). With that in mind, I deeply believe that there is still a place in the market for Butterfinger BB’s to thrive. Despite their discontinuation in 2006, they remain one of the most highly requested and sought after snack returns in 2024. “Butterfinger is a top five branded chocolate candy mix-in within broadline foodservice distribution. In addition, Butterfinger is the fastest-growing among the top seven chocolate mix-ins brands within broadline distribution to quick-service hamburger restaurants.” (Nation’s Restaurant News).
I would love to see the BB’s make a comeback. With their nostalgic reputation, and my own childhood love of a chilled option for the bite-sized morsel, a relaunch of the product in partnership with Dairy Queen could prove to be highly successful.
Ferrero, I think the world is ready for a Butterfinger BB comeback!😋
