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CHICAGO, Illinois (UrHo) -- This is Part 2 of Urban Honking's SPECIAL REPORT on the All Candy Expo from Laura Pearson and David Sampson. You can read Part 1 here.
ICEE Spray Candy: Not so NICEE.
Speaking of cracked out candy: ICEE Spray Candy. You know the super concentrated syrup that goes into ICEEs? It's like that, but as a fine mist dispensed from a teeny tiny spray can. The pictures say it all....
Funley's Stix in the Mud: A candy that stix with you.
The people at the Funley's booth were the friendliest candy folk we met at the ACE. How can you not love a mom-and-pop op that sends this follow-up email: "David Sampson came by our booth at All Candy Expo....
He took what we hoped would be some stellar pics and heard a bunch about us and our candy company.... How can we track down this fella and get him more info on the Funley's Fenomenon?"? (Answer: You cannot not love.)
Stix in the Mud are chocolate covered cookie bits--a bit salty, a bit sweet. There are also caramel stix and peanut butter stix and a classic rock flavor called Styx in the Mud and a bluesy flavor called Stix in the Muddy Waters. (OK, kidding about those last two.) In any case, it was well worth it to stop by and pick up Stix.
5-Hour Energy: When four hours just ain't enough.
You don't need to go to the ACE to know that energy drinks and shots--especially those promising hours upon hours of energy--are currently all the rage. And yet David and I realized neither of us had ever done a 5-Hour: the shot that guarantees "hours of energy without the crash."
By early afternoon, not only were we seriously craving anything but sweets and snacks, but we were also dramatically descending from the morning's sugary heights. So we hit Au Bon Pain for some "food" food, then each slammed a 5-Hr. Sure enough, we were soon buzzing around the expo once again. Sidenote: Do you know? One 5-Hr. Energy shot provides 8,333% of your daily Vitamin B12 needs. I am approx. 62% intrigued by this fact and 38% frightened.
Meat Snacks: Where's the beef? Oh, right here.
The ACE threw some meat snacks into the mix, some of which David sampled. He mostly just wanted to consume a few non-sweet foods. I was kinda hoping there'd be some fake meat varieties, but no such luck.
Instead, I kept busy posing with meat mascots and playing the claw game.
Hey! I won a T-shirt prize. Oddly enough, the shirt advertises Matador, a new brand of beef jerky that targets teens "with an action-driven lifestyle." Y'know, snowboarders, skaters, BMXers, people who love the claw game, etc. Apparently beef jerky "snack sticks" taste really good to people living on the edge.
Toxic Waste: Helping the planet while destroying your taste buds.
Toxic Waste is "hazardously sour candy" that comes in various forms, e.g., Hi-Voltage Bubble Gum, Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars, and Sour Spray Candy. (Oh no! More sprays!) Sure, they're ridiculously sour. But it occurred to me that the only thing truly hazardous thing about Toxic Waste is the marketing campaign. Rather than ride the "Go Green" wave, Toxic Waste is all about nuclear sludge, poisonous fumes, and chemical spills. But the Toxic Waste PR team has wasted no time in diverting attention away from this potentially uh, toxic image by promoting environmental awareness. On the website, the company offers games like Professor Sauernoggin and the Landfill of Doom (in which kids help Prof. Sauernoggin clean up the landfill), as well as a list of Earth Day Tips for Helping the Environment. At least they're blazing their own trail!
Le Whif: One moment on the lips, so NOT a lifetime on the hips.
Le Whif is a chocolate inhaler made in France. It's also the exact sort of innovation David and I were hoping to stumble upon at the ACE. "Combining chocolate and aerosol science," Le Whif is packaged in a sleek brown and pink lipstick-like tube. Each tube contains a single inhalation of fine chocolate powder, which packs a grand total of zero calories. Apparently, a Harvard professor came up with the idea. Figures! At the All Candy Expo, it was in an (Ivy) League of its own.
Le monsieur at Le Whif's booth was very eager to speak with me about the wonderful psychological and emotional and physical benefits of whiffing, but unfortunately he was out of samples!!! What?! NOOOOOO!!! So although I listened to his long and animated pitch, I cannot gush on and on about this curious calorie-less experience and just how far the combination of chocolate and aerosol science has come. The rep did say they want to extend the science of whiffing to other things--i.e., soup. Can you imagine inhaling a bowl of tomato bisque? Minestrone? Curious indeed.
Whiff it; whiff it good.
Candy Teeth: All up in our grillz.
Candy teeth/grillz seem to be something of a trend right now. We encountered quite a few versions. Taste never seems to be much of a concern with these things; it's all about the novelty factor.
Flavor 101: Move over açaí berry: the future lies in lulo.
Maybe the best thing David and I did at the expo was to attend a seminar called Flavor 101. Via PowerPoint presentations and taste tests, experts in the field taught us about the newest trends in exotic fruit flavors. Whereas pomegranate was all the rage a couple years ago, and then we saw the rise of fruits like açaí berry and mangosteen, tomorrow's market will be all about fruits like cupuaçu, rambutan, cherimoya, soursop (guanabana), lulo, and camu camu. Many of these flavors are already popular in other parts of the world, but they are just starting to show up on US shelves. Some are shockingly delicious and others taste like sunscreen. In any case, come quickly, guanabana!
Playing in Candy Land: More images from the expo.
Candy Names We Liked:
OOBZ TOOBZ
TANGY ZANGY BELTS
JUICY OOZERS
BIG FAT HISSEE FIT
NUT DEMONS
Candy Wrap-Up
As expected, the All Candy Expo was an intense sensory experience. Sights! Smells! Flava flaves! It was also very much an industry-only trade show in the sense that if you were wearing the right color of nametag--particularly the color that designated "buyer"--you were guaranteed much better treatment from candy reps. Had we worn suits and ties (ties featuring jelly beans/candy corn/M&Ms, of course) and gone incognito as confectionary and snack buyers, David and I surely would've gotten a whole new perspective on the candy biz. Oh well, next year...!
Despite a certain expo hierarchy, we met quite a few people--like the Funley's fellow--who were stoked that we were reporting for a food blog and who spoke very passionately about their products. Such vendors presented us with extra samples and press packets and (I think) recognized our mutual candy connection--that shared candy-related glimmer in our eyes (just before the 5 Hour energy shots finally wore off). After leaving the convention center, we reboarded the bus on Dum Dum Drive and headed home, expo-nentially more sugared up than before. And we learned this, too: After it's all about sweets and snacks, it's all about real eats and naps.
CHICAGO, Illinois (UrHo) -- How does one get to the ALL CANDY EXPO: "The Largest Confectionary, Cookie & Snack Show in the Americas"? One might try boarding a free shuttle on Dum Dum Drive (AKA the street adjacent to the Hilton in downtown Chicago). After a quick ride--during which time one's candy-related excitement might well reach max levels (despite the fact that it's like, 9 in the morning)--the shuttle will drop one off at McCormick Place, a huge convention center near the lakeshore, home to such epic expositions as The National Restaurant Association Show, WINDPOWER 2009, and The International Plastics Showcase. But for three days in May, at the National Confectioners Association's ALL CANDY EXPO, "It's all about sweet & snacks."
How does one describe this trade show? First of all, one switches to a more casual narrative style, i.e., first person: It was I, Laura Pearson, along with photographer David Sampson, who experienced this exceptionally sweet expo (or should I say, "expo-rienced"?) It was we who got sugared up, came crashing down, consumed still more sugar, crashed further down; encountered new candy and new spins on classic confections; witnessed weird aspects of candy culture and candy merchandising; braided candy into bracelets; sprayed candy into our mouths; traversed new flavor frontiers; and looked around frantically for a sandwich.
What follows are some notes and images from the 2009 ALL CANDY EXPO (or, for brevity's sake, the ACE) that took place from May 19-21 in Chicago. In the words of that legendary CEO/candy pioneer Willy Wonka, the show offered "little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous"...or well, nothing too dangerous (did I mention candy sprays?!). In the words of P Diddy, "let's goooooooo!!!"
CrEATables: They roped me in.
One of our first stops was the CrEATables table (an innovation by Dutch candy co. Fascini) where I learned to braid candy "laces" into lanyard jewelry. The nice CrEATables rep explained that this is a way for kids to play with their food without making a huge mess. I can see how this candy encourages kids' crEATivity, but the plastic-y ropes--in strawberry, apple, tutti frutti, and blue razz--don't pack much flavor. Still, I love a good candy craft. Sidenote: I wore a CrEATables bracelet of my own CrEATion throughout the day, until I decided it was gross to sport wearable candy in public bathrooms.
Surf Sweets: A new wave in gummies?
This was one of David's favorites of the ACE. Surf Sweets are gummies--some of which are gelatin-free (yessss)--that are made with organic fruit juice, provide 100% Vitamin C per serving, and just generally promote a Cali lifestyle of "healthy living and fun." AKA Endless Summer Candy.
WaveBake Treats: Or, everything the Slow Food movement is against in one microwavable bowl.
WaveBake offered us a taste of their premixed (and patent pending) products. You microwave 'em for 40 seconds in order to achieve some sort of warm, doughy brownie-like thing. I asked if they tasted like freshly baked cookies, and the WaveBake rep said, "Yeah. Well, one of them does." (The oatmeal one, in case you were wondering.)
Brownie points for being an almost-ready-to-eat treat. Brownie demerits for looking pretty unappetizing.
Brain Power Potion Bracelets: The kid-friendliest candy in the land?
Quick quiz: What are the three things kids love most?
Answer: Candy. Jewelry. And magic!
I admit that I did not try the powdered candy inside The Real Magic Potion Company's JARM bracelets. Not sure why, since these particular specimens were packed with both "Brain Power Potion" and "Lucky Candy Potion." Whoa! However, I did love this sweetly simple sales pitch ("What are the three things kids love most?"), naïve though it may be. I was about to guess that the three things kids love most are Flamin' Hot Cheetos, those Heelys shoes, and the Jo Bros.
GÜDFÜD: Will not harsh your mellow or marsh your mallow.
Featuring some of the cutest packaging of all the candy at the ACE, the GÜDFÜD company offered samples of their chocolate- and jelly-filled marshmallows. I'm not a big fan of either jelly filling or marshmallows, so this combo wasn't really my thang. However, I am a fan of the über positive GÜDFÜD vibe. According to their website, "Our mission is to bring to the market the most yummy products from all over our happy planet. The umlauts above each letter "U" in our name creates a smiley face that everyone loves."
Crackheads: You do the math.
Crackheads are chocolate-covered espresso beans THAT ARE CRAZILY CAFFEINATED!!! That's why they're called CRACKHEADS!!! How much caffeine do Crackheads pack? Apparently, 1 Box = 6 cups of coffee, 7.5 cans of Red Bull, or 11 cans of Mountain Dew.
I thought it would be hilarious to ask the Crackheads dude if they offer any decaf varieties, and this was my response:
Crackheads remind me of that short-lived energy drink Cocaine: Its name led to its demise. I guess the people behind Crackheads are also jittery that their product might be pulled from shelves, because on their website they've already revealed a backup plan: "Love the product but not the name? Jitterbeans™ now released."
Tomorrow is Part 2 of Urban Honking's SPECIAL REPORT on the All Candy Expo from Laura Pearson and David Sampson.
All the way from New York City, Jared sends in a video report by a close friend who documented his first sip of Mountain Dew: Pitch Black II.
Video: PitchBlackII.mov (8.46 MB)
You would think that cult-like groups wouldn't be successful is selling flavored drinks. But Kabbalah is no ordinary cult, and the new Kabbahlah energy drink is an energizing formula based on actual holy water!
The website is full of useful information! A list of ingredients, some strangely sparse quotes including MSNBC saying "...Kabbalah Energy Drink tastes better..." with no mention of what it tastes better than. Well, I looked at the MSNBC article and the quote about it tasting better is actually from cult-spokesman Darin Ezra. New York Magazine is quoted as saying, "...this is the pop culture right now..." which doesn't really say anything about the drink. And Yahoo! News simply restates the tagline "new Kabbalah energy drink. ...'Source of Power'." If that is the most positive quote you can get from your press coverage, maybe you shouldn't tell people to "Google "Kabbalah Energy Drink" and see more."
CultNews.com has a nice analysis of the drink.
This is a brilliant marketing strategy. Start a cult that charges celebs a lot of money. Then, use the famous people to lure in desperate rubes and sell them overpriced yarn and other religious accessories. Finally, start mass marketing products and do all this while maintaining your non-profit status and getting free publicity from your devout celebs. Well played Mr. Berg.
Okay dudes...get jealous now. While you were probably enjoying your Saturday night with friends, probably out on the town, what was I doing? I was enjoying an amazing new beverage by myself, a novelty beverage at that. I jokingly titled this B to the E, but just now while looking up some information on this new beverage brought to the market by the good people at Anheuser Busch, I found that this beverage is literally called B to the E. What a brilliant name, right? To quote a late 80s SNL skit starring Tom Hanks "Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?" It is a new beerish beverage that also has caffeine, ginseng, and guarana in it. Whoa, right?
Now this might sound depressing to most people...drinking alone on a Saturday night. Deriving great joy in all new food products this evening, actually, was quite enjoyable. B to the E is sorta goofy. The taste is surprisingly fruity, and a bit shocking, but once you get over the shock it's actually pretty good. It comes in a 10 oz. can has more alcohol than most other beers (6.6%) so it's not a drink you would want a six pack of or something, but I can see me getting it again when I want something different, or like I'm studying for a killer test or just waking up. Uhhhh...yeah...B to the E, BOY!!!! TO THE EXTREME.
In these uncertain times we live in, it's comforting to see that a struggling arms manufacturer can expand his brand into other markets.
I present to you, Vodka Kalashnikov.
Let's face it, after the Cold War the former Soviet Union lost a lot of its mystique. Now, combining two of their most culturally powerful memes, they can create a new cultural force to be reckoned with. The man in front is the Russian general, Mikhail Kalashnikov, 84, inventor of the AK-47. The man behind the scenes is John Florey, a clever Englishman who was originally hired to make the offer to Kalashnikov on behalf of another company. By the time he finally met with the man, the company wasn't interested, so Florey pushed the idea on by himself.
Oh those clever marketing types, "It looks like the legendary AK-47 Rifle,�but it holds several rounds of the finest�Original Russian vodka."
Ryan adds: i thought the red army bullet bottle was good, but this... this is perfection. i must have it.
I have the power to change the course of a frozen waffle product.
Last week, while walking through the Lenox Mall, I was approached by a man with a clipboard who asked me if I had some time. I thought he was some pollster who I could wave off with a "I'm not registered to vote in Georgia," but that was not the case.
He needed a 18-to-34-year-old caucasian male to finish the last of his surveys. Fitting the bill, I obliged. He asked me some questions about my waffle-eating habits, to which I replied according to the responses that had been marked already on the clipboard. Not very scientific, but I wanted to help him out by making this go as smoothly as possible.
After answering the questions, he led me to a small office in the depths of the mall, far from the glitz of retaildom where I signed the form and he got the frozen waffles from the freezer (and $2 for my trouble).
The waffles came in a non-descript white box. On the outside was a sticker labelling the box #2 and a phone number to call to report on the quality (or lack thereof) of the product. Inside the box were eight frozen blueberry waffles.
I had to purchase syrup specially for the occasion, and chose Spring Tree Grade A Dark Amber Maple Syrup purely because of the flask-shaped container.
Since the box didn't provide any instructions, I was left on my own to decide how long they should be toasted. I turned the toaster knob to the middle setting and depressed the lever. The Quizno's tag-line came to mind while I waited: MMMM ... toasty!
After a brief wait, the toaster ejected the waffles and I poured syrup over the top and let the sugary liquid soak into the flaky blueberry surface.
Then I ate them.
They were decent frozen blueberry waffles. I'm no food critic, so I can't wax eloquently about how the flavor created some kind of hallucinegenic euphoria on my pallate, but I can say they tasted pretty much exactly like you'd expect frozen blueberry waffles to taste. I liked how the blueberry flavor wasn't overpowering -- it was just enough to provide a nice fruity accent to the waffle and syrup combo.
I haven't called the number on the box yet. I still have six waffles to go, so maybe I'll be able to provide Bobbie Jones a more thorough review once I've eaten all eight.
HA HA! Get my funny title?? Well, you may not get it yet, because you may not know what C2 is. Do you know what T3 is?? If you don't know T3 is a reference to the movie Terminator 3: 3D.
C2 is Coca Cola's new entry into the omniprescent and all powerful low carb market. It is marketed at "same great taste, half the carbs, half the cals." I really respect bringing the calories into the equations, because in these times the marketers have seem to forgotten that calories, fat, or anything else exists. I also respect the bold packaging of this new product in 8 packs instead of the normal 12 packs. If you are being conscious of carbs, cals, etc. it is even a better idea to have less of these "treats" overall.
I saw C2 for the first time in Las Vegas last Friday night. Entering the mini mart the darker red and the brash black & silver immediately grabbed my eye. At first, I thought it was a repacking of New Coke (the infamous mid 80's product that replaced the original Coca-Cola and is seen as one of the biggest business snafus of all time, that eventually with the return of the original formula saw Coca Cola regain its No. 1 status in the cola world) which is still sold in some parts of the US (still 
surprisingly popular in the Chicago area) as Coke 2. I surveyed the new item and decided I had to try it. The woman at the checkout warned me and wanted to make sure I knew this was "the new coke." She warned me about a funny aftertaste, but I didn't take too much heed and I struck out for the strip of Las Vegas with my awesome cousin and a 20oz of C2. The taste was really pleasant. It taste just like a Coke but a bit more mellow. I can totally see it being more appropriate than a Coke from time to time.
I have an 8 pack of C2 in my fridge right now. I think it will be a success of a product (I have been wrong about this before. Just ask Jake Longstreth about a little wager he and I had about Surge�). There are a lot of people who don't like Diet Coke due to the change in the flavor and a dislike of nutrasweet but worry about too much sugar in Coke. Of course, I am biased in this whole (Coca Cola) realm. I'm just hoping they bring the wonderful Sprite Ice� to the US, which is Sprite with mint, currently only available in Canada and Hong Kong.
Proctor & Gamble has announced their new "Pringles Prints" product which is their classic potato crisp snack with food coloring printing on the crisps displaying fun facts, animal prints, or questions from Trivial Pursuit Junior.
"Pringles is the leader and founder of the stacked crisp category and now we're taking it to a whole new level," said Jamie Egasti, vice president of the firm's North America snacks division.
I can say with confidence that I have been quietly waiting for someone in the stacked crisp category to take this step. This is not only a revolution in the stacked crisp category but possibly in the entire salty snack master category. HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!!! More words and pictures printed on salty snacks!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!
