A trendy food or unusual flavor combination can do a lot for both a brand and the retailers that supply it.
When ice cream company Van Leeuwen launched a Kraft macaroni-and-cheese ice cream as part of an exclusive partnership Walmart (WMT), the flavor sold out in just a few days as many looked to see whether it really tasted just like a sweet version of the cheesy dish.
DON'T MISS: Walmart Will Soon Start Selling a Very Weird Ice Cream Flavor
At around the same time, big-box competitor Walgreens (WBA) partnered with a candy company to create an exclusive mix of jelly beans with flavors such as guacamole, salsa and beef taco.
Kraft
Color-Changing Marshmallows Could Be The Summer Gimmick
The latest gimmicky food product comes from well-known marshmallow brand Jet-Puffed. Around since 1958 and now owned by the larger Kraft Heinz (KHC) company, Jet-Puffed just unveiled a limited-edition bag of marshmallows that change color when exposed to direct heat.
While Jet-Puffed released scant details on the technology that allows for the color change while keeping the product edible, it takes 10 seconds of exposure to fire or other source of heat for the pink marshmallows to turn orange and the blue ones to become bright green.
"Summer campfires are about to become more magical than ever before with the launch of the new, first-of-its-kind JET-PUFFED Color Changing Marshmallows," Jet-Puffed says in the promotional content for the marshmallows. "This is the first time the brand has used the secret color changing ingredient in combination with their jet-puffing technology designed to make the fluffiest and puffiest treats to step up your roasting game."
A 12-ounce package will sell for $2.99 and be available wherever regular Jet-Puffed marshmallows are sold — grocery stores, retail giants like Walmart and food delivery apps like DoorDash (DASH) and Instacart. It is a summer promotion and will be available until what Jet-Puffed says is the official end of s'mores season in September.
Here's Why Color-Changing Technology Is All The Rage
While Jet-Puffed is almost entirely associated with the large pack of pillowy white marshmallows and the mini version meant for putting on top of hot chocolate, the company frequently experiments with both new and limited-edition flavors.
The website currently displays products like "marshmallow bits" and "marshmallow cream" as well as packages with flavors such as vanilla, coconut, peppermint and Lucky Charms. Seasonal flavors such as "holiday mallow" and "pumpkin spice" have also popped up over the years.
But anything having to do with color changes attracts a certain degree of customer curiosity and is currently a major trend. During the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, German automaker BMW (BMWYY) unveiled a car that can go from black to white and back again at the touch of a button. This is possible by wrapping e-ink, or digital paper technology used in many e-readers, around the car.
A year later, BMW expanded it to a full range of colors but the car is still a display prototype only meant to show off how far technology can go. While it is unlikely to be available for commercial purchase any time soon, it was one of the most popular stations at the show.
BMW, in turn, positioned it as a future in which shoppers can customize everything and not have to settle on just one color.
