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Iconic candy meets stand-up pouch

Necco Sweethearts have been an American favorite since 1902, but even the most iconic confectionery can benefit from a packaging upgrade.

Pw 2373 Necco Beauty

In the multi-serve 16-oz category, the switch from a lay-flat pillow-style pouch to a stand-up pouch with a reclosable zipper is giving an iconic American candy a whole new shelf presence.

The candy is Sweethearts, made by the Boston-based New England Confectionery Co., better known as Necco.

“Through 2009 and 2010 we reformulated the product itself to give it brighter colors, softer texture, bolder flavors, and new consumer-driven expressions like LOL, BFF, and so on,” says Necco brand manager Aimee Scott. “We then realized that with all these great new brand developments to talk about, the lay-flat package we were in offered no real opportunity for brand exposure. We needed a package format that would let us emphasize the Sweethearts brand. That brand identification had never been a communications priority. We wanted to raise the awareness of the Sweethearts brand, which had gotten overshadowed over the years as people tended to think more in terms of Necco Conversation Hearts than the Sweethearts brand. Think about Pepperidge Farm Goldfish. Everyone knows the Goldfish brand. We want the same kind of recognition for the Sweethearts brand.”

Brigandi + Associates was tapped for the design of the new package, a task that was handled “brilliantly,” says Scott. Iris Alicea, executive vice president and creative director at Brigandi, says it was a fun project to work on because it triggered a lot of childhood memories. The challenge was to balance the integrity of the brand that consumers know and love from their childhood while giving the new package a fresh, high-impact look.

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