Ice Breakers candy facts for kids
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Sugar-free peppermint candies
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| Type | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hershey Company (2000–) |
| Country | United States |
| Related brands | |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Nabisco (1996–2000) |
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Ice Breakers is a popular brand that makes refreshing mints and chewing gum. It is owned by a big company called The Hershey Company. You might know their soft, cube-shaped gum, which is called Ice Cubes.
Contents
The Story of Ice Breakers
Ice Breakers first started in the 1990s. It was created by the LifeSaver division of a company called Nabisco. They wanted to make a new mint brand to compete with others already out there.
How Hershey Got Involved
In the year 2000, The Hershey Company bought Ice Breakers from Nabisco. This deal cost Hershey $135 million. The purchase also included other popular gum and mint brands like Bubble Yum and Breath Savers. After Hershey took over, Ice Breakers started to become even more popular and its sales grew.
Changes in the Gum Market
Around 2006, Hershey was one of the top companies selling chewing gum. They saw Ice Breakers as a way to sell even more gum. By 2014, people noticed that overall chewing gum sales were going down. Some experts thought this was because of the economy at the time. Also, people had many more snack choices than just gum. However, in 2016, sales of Ice Breakers' Ice Cubes gum actually went up compared to the year before.
Products and Fun Promotions
Ice Breakers makes many different kinds of mints and chewing gum. These include cool mints, peppermint chews, and their soft, cube-shaped gum called Ice Cubes.
New Products Over the Years
In 2003, Ice Breakers launched a new product called Liquid Ice. These were mints with a liquid center. To help promote them, they launched an advertising campaign with singer and actress Jessica Simpson. The next year, in 2004, the company released its special dual-pack gum and mints. Later that same year, the famous sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff became the spokeswomen for the brand.
In April 2018, Ice Breakers introduced a new kind of gum. This gum had edible glitter sprinkled on it! They hoped this sparkly gum would be popular with young adults.
Sponsoring Athletes
Ice Breakers has also supported athletes. They have sponsored NASCAR race car driver Kevin Harvick. They also supported the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).
Discontinued Products
Ice Breakers Frost mints were no longer sold after September 2022.
