Butterfinger has achieved a milestone few consumer brands have been able to accomplish: its 100th birthday. Ferrero’s chocolate-coated peanut butter candy has come a long way since its debut in the 1920s when chartered planes dropped the “crispety crunchety” bars over cities nationwide.
Part of the brand’s success has been its ability to adapt and keep pace with pop culture, most notably in the late 1980s and 90s when the brand partnered with an irreverent new animated show, The Simpsons. To commemorate its historic birthday, Butterfinger once again collaborated with The Simpsons, now one of the longest-running shows in TV history, to celebrate the brand’s centennial with all-new packaging.
“The collaboration with The Simpsons throughout the 1990s and early 2000s was a huge success,” says Neal Finkler, VP of marketing, adding: “What better way to celebrate this huge milestone than by taking our consumers back to one of the most monumental times in the brand’s history?”
The limited-edition birthday wrappers, featuring characters from the series, are rolling out in US retail stores in regular size, a two-piece share pack, and a laydown bag of mini “Fun Size” bars while supplies last.
The new packaging was designed by Channel Agency and provides interactivity via a website and chances to win prizes.
The new packaging kicks off a Butterfinger Birthday Sweepstakes. Consumers who purchase one of the limited-edition Butterfinger bars and head to ButterfingerBirthday.com will have the chance to win prizes such as an Arcade 1 Game inspired by The Simpsons, The Simpsons Funko Pop! character assortment, a Butterfinger branded skateboard, and more.
To enter, consumers can locate and input the 12-digit UPC found on the back of each package.
Homer Simpson is one of the characters on individual bars. Image: Ferrero
