Bonkers candy facts for kids
Bonkers was a fun and chewy candy that came out in the mid-1980s. It was made by a company called Nabisco. Each Bonkers candy was a rectangle with a yummy, tangy filling inside. They came in a big rectangular package, and each candy was wrapped individually. Some popular flavors included grape, orange, strawberry, watermelon, and chocolate.
Contents
Bonkers TV Commercials
Bonkers candy is often remembered for its funny television commercials. In these ads, people who seemed a bit serious would take a bite of a Bonkers candy. Then, a giant piece of fruit, like a huge bunch of grapes, would suddenly fall from above! This would make the person burst into loud, happy laughter. The catchy phrase in these commercials was "Bonkers! Bonks you out!"
Many commercials also featured an older woman with a calm voice. She would say, "Some folks think Bonkers is gum." Right after she said this, a giant fruit would fall on someone, making them laugh a lot. Then, the woman would calmly add, "They know it's candy now." The first commercials had a slightly different ending. A final giant fruit would fall, and the actor would frown. A serious voice would then say, "Artificially Flavored." Later, this was changed so the actor kept laughing, and the voice sounded more cheerful when it mentioned the artificial flavoring. Most Bonkers candy commercials were very energetic and exciting.
Why Bonkers Disappeared
After the TV commercials stopped airing, Bonkers candy became less popular. It became harder to find and was only available in special candy stores that sold old or unique treats. Eventually, the company stopped making Bonkers candies completely. There was a lot of competition from other candies and snacks. Also, people started looking for healthier food choices, which might have made Bonkers less popular over time.
Attempts to Bring Bonkers Back
In February 2012, a company called Leaf Brands, LLC, bought the rights to the Bonkers name. They announced plans to bring the classic candy back to stores. By the end of 2015, they hoped to reintroduce it. In November 2016, the Bonkers Fruit Candy Facebook and Twitter pages shared an update. They posted, "We made more samples of Bonkers Fruit Chews on the line last week and we think they look pretty good! Getting closer but no date yet.." They also shared two pictures. Since that update in 2016, there have been no further announcements about Bonkers Fruit Candy being released. As of August 2025, the candy has not been widely reintroduced.
Original Bonkers Flavors
The first flavors of Bonkers candy included:
- Peach
- Apple (red outside, green inside)
- Lemon
- Lime
- Vanilla (Malagasy Vanilla outside, Vanilla cake inside)
- Lemon-Lime (Lemon outside, Lime inside)
- Vanilla-Peach (Malagasy Vanilla outside, Peach inside)
- Peach-Apricot (Peach outside, Apricot inside)
- Chocolate
- Watermelon
- Grape
- Orange
- Strawberry
fr:Bonkers
