Butterfinger facts for kids
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| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ferrara Candy Company (since 2018) |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1923 |
| Previous owners | Nestlé
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The Butterfinger is a popular candy bar. It is made by the Ferrara Candy Company. This company is part of Ferrero. The candy bar has a crunchy, layered peanut butter center. This center is covered in a "chocolatey" coating. This coating is not called chocolate because it does not contain cocoa butter. Otto Schnering invented the Butterfinger in 1923. He worked for the Curtiss Candy Company. The name "Butterfinger" was chosen in a public contest.
In its early years, the famous child star Shirley Temple helped promote Butterfinger. She did this in her 1934 film Baby Take a Bow. Later, from 1988 to 2001, characters from The Simpsons advertised the candy. Bart Simpson was especially famous for this.
Contents
The Story of Butterfinger
How Butterfinger Began
Otto Schnering created Butterfinger in 1923. He had started the Curtiss Candy Company in 1922. This company was located near Chicago, Illinois. To name the new candy, the company held a public contest.
In an early marketing trick, the company did something exciting. They dropped Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars from airplanes. This happened in cities all over the United States. This fun stunt helped make the candy bars very popular.
Changing Owners Over Time
Over the years, Butterfinger changed owners many times. In 1964, Standard Brands, Inc. bought the Curtiss Candy Company. Then, in 1981, it joined with Nabisco. Later, in 1985, RJR Nabisco was formed. This happened when Nabisco Brands and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company merged.
In 1988, a company called Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. bought RJR Nabisco. This was a very big deal at the time. Then, in 1990, Nestlé bought Butterfinger. Nestlé is a huge food company from Switzerland.
Butterfinger and GMOs
In 1999, Butterfinger was taken off the market in Germany. This happened because it was one of the first products found to have genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) from corn. A group called Greenpeace ran a successful campaign. They pushed Nestlé to remove the product from German stores.
Recent Changes in Ownership
Butterfinger was very popular in the United States. Between 2007 and 2010, it was often the eleventh most popular candy bar. In 2010, its sales were $598 million.
In 2018, Nestlé decided to sell many of its US candy brands. This included Butterfinger. An Italian chocolate company called Ferrero SpA bought them for $2.8 billion. The deal was completed in March 2018. The new brands became part of the Ferrara Candy Company.
New Recipe for Butterfinger
What Changed in the Recipe?
In January 2019, Ferrero changed the Butterfinger recipe. New labels on the candy bars said "Improved Recipe." This "Better" Butterfinger uses bigger runner peanuts in its center. These peanuts are roasted right at the factory.
The new bar also has more cocoa and milk in its "chocolatey" coating. They also removed some ingredients. These include a preservative called TBHQ and hydrogenated oils.
Better Packaging
The candy bar's wrapper was also improved. This new packaging helps keep the candy fresh longer. It helps prevent it from going bad.
How People Reacted
The company said that sales "improved with the new recipe." They noted that sales had been going down before the change. However, some people on social media did not like the new recipe.
Advertising Butterfinger
The Simpsons and Butterfinger
Starting in 1988, The Simpsons characters advertised Butterfinger. At that time, The Simpsons was still a series of short cartoons. The first commercial was called "The Butterfinger Group." It even showed the first appearance of the character Milhouse Van Houten. The Simpsons quickly became popular. This helped make the candy more popular too.
In 1992, The Simpsons also appeared in commercials for Butterfinger BB's. The Simpsons-Butterfinger ads stopped around 2001. But they came back in 2010.
Fun and Silly Campaigns
Butterfinger has had many fun advertising campaigns. Some campaigns counted down to the "end of the world" or "BARmageddon." They even made a QR-shaped crop circle in Kansas. There was also a Butterfinger comedy-horror movie called “Butterfinger the 13th.”
They also created the first digital graphic novel by a candy brand. It starred the Butterfinger Defense League. Butterfinger has also done many funny April Fool's Day pranks. One famous prank was saying they would rename the candy bar to “The Finger.”
The "The Finger" Prank
On April 1, 2008, Nestlé played an April Fool's Day prank. They said they had changed the candy bar's name to "The Finger." They claimed that people thought the original name was "clumsy." The prank included a fake website with a video press release. When the joke was revealed, the website sent visitors to a fake "Butterfinger Comedy Network."
Returning Slogans and Characters
In 2009, a new Butterfinger ad came out. It seemed to be a tribute to the old The Simpsons commercials. In February 2010, Butterfinger brought back its famous slogan: "Nobody better lay a finger..." It was updated to "Nobody's gonna lay a finger on my Butterfinger." A comedy horror film called Butterfinger The 13th was made in October 2011 to promote the candy.
In April 2013, The Simpsons announced on Twitter that the "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger" campaign would return. Bart Simpson was featured in these ads. In a 2017 episode, the Simpson family appeared as candy. Bart, as a "Barterfinger" bar, was scared. His mom, Marge, as a "Marge Bar", told him he was always the last one picked.
In May 2024, The Simpsons returned again for Butterfinger's 100th anniversary. Bart and Homer were on some wrappers. The whole family was on Fun Size packaging.
Butterfinger Sponsorships
Butterfinger has sponsored athletes. In 2003, they sponsored pro Freestyle Motocross rider Nate Adams. They also sponsored pro BMX rider Ryan Nyquist. In 2023, Butterfinger sponsored Twitch streamers like Blushi.
Different Kinds of Butterfinger
- Bites: In 2009, Butterfinger introduced Mini Bites. These are small, bite-sized pieces of Butterfinger.
- Snackerz: Butterfinger Snackerz are another bite-sized version. They have a smooth center.
- BB's: Starting in 1992, Butterfinger BB's were available. They were like small marbles and sold in bags. The Simpsons also advertised them. They were stopped in 2006 but came back in 2009 as Butterfinger Bites.
- Buzz: In 2009, a special "king size" Butterfinger Buzz was released. It had 80 milligrams of caffeine. This was as much as a popular energy drink. It was not recommended for children. It was quickly stopped.
- Ice Cream Bar: The Butterfinger Ice Cream Bar came out in 1991. It has an ice cream filling and is still sold today.
- Crisp: Nestlé also makes Butterfinger Crisp bars. These are chocolate-covered wafer cookies with a Butterfinger-flavored cream.
- Cocoa Mix: Nestlé released a hot cocoa mix that tastes like Butterfinger. It has a chocolate and peanut butter flavor.
- Cups: In 2014, Nestlé introduced Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups. They were like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They had both crunchy and creamy peanut butter. They were covered in milk chocolate. Nestlé spent two years making this product. However, they were stopped in 2018 when Ferrero SpA bought the brand.
- Naked: The Naked Butterfinger only has chocolate on the bottom. This holds the bar together.
- Dark: These were made with Dark Chocolate. They were stopped in 2018 when Ferrero SpA bought the brand.
Butterfinger in Other Products
Butterfingers are also used in other treats. Edy's Fun Flavors ice cream (called Dreyer's in some areas) has a flavor with vanilla ice cream, peanut butter swirl, and Butterfinger bits.
The grocery store Kroger has an ice cream flavor called Peanut Butter Candy Crunch. It is a peanut-flavored frozen dessert with Butterfinger chunks and a peanut butter swirl.
See also
In Spanish: Butterfinger para niños
