A Spooky Exploration of Candy Names

Well, hello and welcome to Naming in an AI Age! This week, we’re diving into the whimsical, sometimes bizarre world of Halloween candy names. Halloween isn’t just about costumes and trick-or-treating; it’s also a battleground for brands eager to secure their place in our candy collection. In this festive season, the right name can transform a sugary treat into a household favorite, while a poorly chosen name might lead to candy trades happening faster than you can say “trick or treat.” Today, we’ll dissect some of the best and worst candy names that pop up on shelves each Halloween.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Names: Effective Halloween candy names can create lasting impressions, captivating both children and parents.

• Art and Science: Naming blends creativity with market insight, evoking emotions that resonate with consumers.

• Embrace the Theme: Striking a balance between sweetness and spookiness is essential to reflect the festive spirit of Halloween.

• Fun and Creativity: Playful and whimsical elements in naming enhance the excitement of Halloween treats.

• Celebrate the Season: Keep the Halloween spirit alive in your naming strategy to engage consumers and create memorable experiences.

The Balancing Act of Naming

When it comes to candy names, understanding your target audience is crucial. Brands must appeal to both parents, the gatekeepers of the candy aisle, and the kids, who are more likely to demand the fun, zany options. Take Twizzlers, for example. The name strikes a balance; it’s fun to say and looks appealing on the package. However, it also carries potential connotations—like whistles or twinks—that could confuse some parents. Still, for kids, the name’s quirky nature grabs their attention.

Twizzlers embodies the creativity found in candy names, which often need to be short and catchy. A good candy name is easy for kids to pronounce and remember.

Reflecting on a project we undertook years ago with Nestle, we developed a name for a long ice cream popsicle—Itzakadoozie. While a mouthful, it was fun and playful, allowing kids to proudly ask for it at their local store.

Names like Skittles and Smarties capture a playful essence, with Smarties even implying a clever edge. The juxtaposition of “smart” can appeal to parents, while still enticing kids with its irreverent charm.

The Charm of Descriptive Names

Moving from playful to descriptive names, let’s examine Mr. Goodbar. While nostalgic for many adults, its appeal to today’s children is questionable. Unless paired with a contemporary pop culture reference, like a superhero, Mr. Goodbar lacks the excitement of modern candy names.

Consider Milk Duds—the name suggests something less than desirable. After all, nobody wants to eat a dud. On the other hand, Candy Corn has remained a Halloween staple, polarizing opinions but effectively communicating its corn-shaped allure. Some candies, like Circus Peanuts, successfully hint at their shape, even if they don’t resemble their namesake at all.

Evocative Names: A Play on Words

Then there’s the clever and evocative names, such as Nerds. Once a term for socially awkward kids, the word has been reclaimed, representing a sense of coolness in today’s culture. The single-syllable name is catchy and carries an attitude, resonating with kids who want to feel part of something edgy.

The evolution of the term “Nerd” is fascinating. While it was once a negative label, it has transformed into a badge of honor, reflecting the rise of technology and gaming culture. A name like Nerds plays on this shift, making it attractive to kids while remaining easy to say and spell.

The Limits of Creativity

However, not all candy names hit the mark. For instance, Unicorn Poo Marshmallow Candy raises eyebrows. While it plays into the colorful and whimsical trends of the moment, it may not appeal to parents aiming to avoid discussing such topics with their kids. Similarly, Box of Boogers gummy candy certainly targets a specific sense of humor, but as a parent, I would definitely prefer to regift those!

Many kids find humor in the gross-out factor, which is precisely why names like these can catch their attention. Brands often dance on the line between edgy and inappropriate, testing these names with parents and children to gauge their reactions before a full launch.

The Power of a Name

Ultimately, a great candy name can stick with consumers long after Halloween has ended. In contrast, a lackluster name will quickly be forgotten or traded away in favor of something more exciting. Names shape our perceptions and experiences, especially in the context of candy, where excitement and whimsy are paramount.

As we reflect on the art of naming, we invite you to share your thoughts. Do you have a favorite or least favorite Halloween candy name? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Transcription:

Ashley Elliott (00:05):

Well, hello and welcome to naming in an AI Age. This week’s a little bit different as we explore the spooky, the fun, sometimes odd and baffling world of Halloween candy names. So Halloween’s more than just costumes and candy. It’s also a time when brands really try to carve out their place in our trick or treat bags, buckets, whatever you put your candy in. But a name can make or break whether a candy becomes a household favorite or kids are begging each other to trade away as fast as they can. So in today’s episode, we’re going to actually look at and dive into some of the best and the worst candy names that we’ve seen pop up on shelves during the Halloween season. So Mike, what are your thoughts on Halloween candy? I mean, you’ve seen a lot of candy throughout the years, I’m sure. What are your thoughts on some of these candy names?

Mike Carr (00:48):

Well, my favorites aren’t in this list, but I have some favorites from when I was your kids’ age trick or treating. Kit Kat was one of my favorites, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. But the big ones, right? The really big ones. Not these itty bitty things that you get now, but regardless, I think some of the names out there are pretty creative. Some of the names out there are a bit edgy and we can talk about how far in particular directions do you want to go. So let’s look at some of these different naming types and styles and see what we think. So Ashley, take it away.

Ashley Elliott (01:20):

Sure. Reese’s is my favorite. And of course you have to have the king size, but that one we’re not discussing today. So the one we want to discuss first is Twizzlers. I feel like overall this is a good candy style name. What are your thoughts on?

Mike Carr (01:34):

So you always have to think about who you’re targeting. So moms are usually the gatekeeper or dads are in terms of buying candy. And then when you’re trick or treating, the kids often will trade amongst themselves after they’ve been out for a night or they’ve gone to the fair at the church or whatever it is, the community center. And so it’s like you’ve got this mixed target. You want something that isn’t so offensive or so out there that mom or dad will say no way, but you also want something that’s sort of fun and zany that the kids will like. So to me is a nice balance. It is got a bit of fun to it. It’s sort of fun to say, even if you can’t say it exactly right. If you’re talking about a younger kiddo, it still sort of looks cool on the package, but all names have pros and cons. So if you talk about the cons, and this may be more from a parent standpoint, what does Twizzler remind you of? Well, it could remind you of whs or Winkler’s or things that might be a little bit confusing, but from a kid’s standpoint, I think it’s just something that grabs their attention that they enjoy and that mom and dad won’t say no to.

Ashley Elliott (02:40):

I think it’s ingenious to brand it as an actual name because I will tell you I do not eat red or black licorice. And I think if the packaging is cool and the name is cool, it might get that trial purchase, at least from a kid standpoint. I also feel like Twizzlerss runs along the same lines as candy’s, like Skittles or Smarties. What do you think that all these names from a name style perspective have in common?

Mike Carr (03:02):

Well, names that are short enough to fit on package and that are hopefully easy enough for the kids to pronounce, or at least that they’re going to want to pronounce I think is important. So years ago, Nestle 

came to us and they needed a name for very long ice cream Popsicle, which of course you’re not going to get at Halloween. It would melt. And the name we came up with for them was, Itzakadoozie now Itzakadoozie is quite a mouthful. But the kids loved it. It was fun. It was sort of zany and so they had no problems walking into a convenience store or going to the Walmart or the Target or the grocery store and finding the doozies in the freezer section. Skittles and Smarties are both smarter, which I think is a good thing. Skittles is fun and playful and I think once you see the story and the graphics and everything wrapped around it, it really comes alive.

(03:48):

Smarties though just inherently has more of an attitude and so it’s a little bit irreverent, right? Like, oh, I want to be a smart lec. Maybe parents might raise their eyebrows at that, but it’s not so telegraphic of that that parents would be offended necessarily. And you could also say it’s a wise decision, right? Mom and dad might like it. Yeah, you’re a smart kid, so you want smarty. So it has meanings on both sides of the fence, which maybe makes it interesting. But I think both those names are sort of fun. They’re easy to say they fit on the package and they have some interesting graphics and story wrapped around them.

Ashley Elliott (04:19):

And I think, I wonder if Smarties could take you even to the tanginess of the actual candy itself. It’s smart, it’s tangy. I feel like that could be a play on that as well. I think another name in that kind of space that the name actually helps in what the candy is, is I feel like Rolos is a little bit like in that space, but the O’S could take you to the round shape. The row takes me to round for the Rolos and it’s short. It’s two syllables. I feel like that’s a good style name in my opinion, although I don’t eat them to be honest, but I like them in general. They look like a cool candy. I do kind of want to move to something different though. We’ve seen some of these more coins fund style names, but there are descriptive names out there in this space as well. Thinking of names like Mr. Goodbar, I mean, what is your opinion on Mr. Goodbar as an name? It’s been there for a while, but I’m curious your thoughts on the type of name.

Mike Carr (05:05):

Well, part of it depends on how much money you have to spend to get the attention of the kids and are you leaning into something that they’re already familiar with. So I don’t think Mr. Goodbar would necessarily work today as it worked as well when it was first introduced, unless there’s a superhero called Goodbar or a comic strip or something that you can maybe attach the brand to. So it would have some of that immediate resonance and engage the kids right off the bat. Now if dad’s buying ’em, and I can certainly remember good bars and liking them when I was growing up and I’m at the grocery store two hours before the kids start showing up for Trick or Treat, I might pick up a bag of Mr. Good bars. They are tasty, but I’m not sure that’s the kind of name that has the same excitement as the Twizzlerss or as Smarties or even a Skittles does for the kids.

Ashley Elliott (05:59):

I agree with you and I think other names that they’ve been around so long that we use them, but if you think about it from an actual name perspective, it sometimes either doesn’t make sense or it could lean into it and telegraph a little bit. I mean, I think of names like Milk Duds. If you think of duds, I don’t want any milk duds. What does that is not a good milk candy or something. There’s also candy corn. I was talking with my husband last night about this. It is good from a brand perspective, it looks like it’s kind of in a corn shape, but it’s been around forever and it’s actually polarizing. Some people either love candy corn or hate candy corn, and maybe that’s why it’s so famous around this time of year. And then you also have names like circus peanuts. And so I feel like they’re not actual peanuts, but they’re in the shape of circus peanuts. So there’s some telegraphing that happens with the style of name. But I do think sometimes if we think about it from a naming perspective, these are kind of interesting.

Mike Carr (06:44):

I don’t think you want a name that’s misleading. So if you call something circus peanuts and it doesn’t look like a peanut, it doesn’t taste like a peanut, you might have a disconnect. But with circus peanuts, with candy, corn, they hint at certain things that then relate to the shape or the colors or the actual flavor or texture or taste experience. Those are all probably good things that the kids know what they’re getting or mom and dad know what they’re going to get. And so there’s not that disconnect between actually buying it or getting it in your trick or treat bag and then actually trying it.

Ashley Elliott (07:17):

I think that’s a good point of having some element, whether it be taste, shape, color, size, something that alludes to what the name is trying to convey. I think that’s great. There’s also an outlier that’s kind of along the same lines as a Twizzlers and that it is more evocative in that way, but it’s actually a real word. And I feel like the word itself has nothing to do with candy and it’s nerds one of my favorite Halloween candies. But what do you feel about that name?

Mike Carr (07:41):

Well, that one’s a single syllable and it’s shorter than any of the names that we’ve talked about. So it has those things going for it right off the bat. It might be easier to spell and pronounce depending upon how old the child is. It does have attitude, right? It’s sort of like smarties nerds does have a little bit of attitude. I think the meaning of nerds though certainly changed over time. When I was in school, it wasn’t flattering at all to be called a nerd, right? Nerds were not thought of as cool or hip. They were sort of the bookworms and nobody really would’ve purchased probably candy called Nerds because it just wasn’t something that anyone aspired to be these days. However, I think it’s totally different, right? I mean, you think about all the computer stuff, all the digital media stuff. Nerds in some cases have a very elevated status, at least amongst kids and teens. So naming something nerds might be appealing. It also is fun to talk about. It is just sort of a name that, because it’s a little bit polarizing because it might be a little bit controversial or have some negative meanings. It’s why kids like it, right? It’s not the norm, it’s not safe. There’s something about it that they find interesting and exciting that maybe it’s because mom and dad aren’t quite as excited about it as they are.

Ashley Elliott (08:58):

Very true. I’d be curious to see if Gen Z and Gen Alpha were inventing candy names today, what kind of names they would think resonates and come up because a lot of these names have been in the space for so long that it’d be interesting to see theirs. I did also, while researching some of these candy names, found some horrific names that I would never want to purchase as a mom. Specifically unicorn poo marshmallow candy. That just does not, I am sure they could take it rainbow, colorful, but I just dunno if I’d want to get that. And then box of boogers gummy candy. I am sure the ultimate time to have a gruesome type name is during Halloween, but I’m trying to get my kids not to eat their boogers. So receiving their box of boogers is not something that I would want to get. I would definitely regift those gummies for sure.

Mike Carr (09:37):

Yeah, I can remember, I think it was last Halloween, I have a five-year-old granddaughter and an eight-year-old grandson. And they were really into all the poo stuff and there were all kinds of things from edibles to other things that were related to poo or had poo in the name. And I just thought it was gross. But they thought it was hilarious. And because it was gross, right? Because they knew it wasn’t something that mom and dad were real excited about them talking about is why they and their friends thought it was so interesting and so exciting and so fun to talk about. So I think it’s a balancing act really, if you really are not that concerned about an overtly negative or offensive or derogatory meaning, and it’s just being done in good fun, I think that’s where a lot of the brands are going.

(10:31):

They don’t want something that creates strong backlash from parents or that’s politically incorrect. That’s certainly not worth it. But a name that’s sort of right there on the edge, right? It’s close and the kids are going to want to talk about it. Maybe that’s okay. So it’s worth testing, right? It’s worth testing some of these names before you actually do a national launch. And just trying to get a read from mom and dad and from kids as to, well, are they really going to work or not? And then you pull the trigger and roll the thing out.

Ashley Elliott (10:59):

Oh, that’s for sure. A great name can stick with you and maybe in your gums long after the holiday is over. That’s right. While a poor name will definitely get left or traded from the candy bowl. Thanks for joining us on this spooky name journey. We’d love to hear if you have a favorite or least favorite Halloween candy name, please be sure to share it with us in the comments. And until our next episode, keep it sweet, keep it spooky, and remember the right name can haunt you in all the best ways. Thanks for joining us.

Mike Carr (11:25):

Thank you guys. See you.