Nerds Gummy Clusters
{{Short description|Brand of candy}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = Nerds Gummy Clusters
| image =
| currentowner = Ferrara Candy Company
| previousowners =
| introduced = {{start date and age|2020}}
| website =
|country = United States
}}
Nerds Gummy Clusters are a spin-off Nerd candy product. After the candy was launched in 2020, it gained a cult following and became one of the largest products of the Ferrara Candy Company.
Features
Nerds Gummy Clusters have a gummy center similar to a prior Nerds candy, the Nerds Rope. However, the latter was too messy to eat and did not hold Nerds well.{{cite web |last1=Reilly |first1=Kaitlin |title=Nerds Gummy Clusters made Nerds cool again. What's behind the obsession? |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/nerds-gummy-clusters-made-nerds-cool-again-whats-behind-the-obsession-201111004.html |website=Yahoo Life |access-date=14 March 2025 |date=4 February 2025}} Instead, a gummy gel is melted and put into round molds to produce a sticky cluster. A smaller version of the classic Nerd is made for the cluster, and the clusters move through beds of the smaller Nerds until they are completely covered.
History
The Ferrero Group purchased Nestlé's American candy business in 2018, as Nerds sales were declining.{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Ben |last2=Vranica |first2=Suzanne |title=America's Newest Hit Candy Is Gummy, Crunchy and Printing Money |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/media/nerds-gummy-clusters-candy-halloween-35ae2e2a |website=WSJ |access-date=14 March 2025}}{{Cite news |last1=Sanders |first1=Hank |last2=Hewett |first2=Lucy |date=2024-10-29 |title=Inside the Colorful and Cultish World of Nerds Gummy Clusters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/29/us/nerds-gummy-clusters.html |access-date=2025-03-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Ferrara Candy Company took control of the non-chocolate brands, including the Nerds brand, and its scientists began to rework the candy. For six months, the team worked on a new approach. Despite mixed reviews in testing, the candy was launched in stores in 2020.
The company did not initially spend significant amounts on advertising. Instead, the candy gained popularity in 2021 when Kylie Jenner posted an Instagram story where she said she was "obsessed" with the candy. This resulted in a spike in Google searches and sales. After Jenner's story, the candy went viral on social media.
After the release of Nerds Gummy Clusters, Nerds annual sales increased from $50 million in 2018 to $850 million in 2024, with the clusters making up 90% of Nerds sales.
Advertising
In 2024, the company created a 30 second advertisement featuring singer Addison Rae, which debuted at Super Bowl LVIII.{{cite web |last1=Steinberg |first1=Brian |title=Addison Rae Leads Nerds Into Super Bowl Snack Battle |url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/addison-rae-nerds-super-bowl-commercial-1235898989/ |website=Variety |access-date=14 March 2025 |date=6 February 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Passy |first=Charles |date=2024-02-11 |title=How Nerds candy became cool again — and found its way to the Super Bowl |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/remember-nerds-how-the-80s-candy-scored-a-super-bowl-ad-with-its-gummy-clusters-0586b95e |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=MarketWatch |language=EN-US}} This was the company's first Super Bowl advertisement. In 2025, the candy was featured in a second Super Bowl commercial with Shaboozey.{{cite web |last1=Mordacq |first1=Jessica |title=Made in Forest Park, Nerds Gummy Clusters hit Super Bowl |url=https://www.forestparkreview.com/2025/02/11/made-in-forest-park-nerds-gummy-clusters-hit-super-bowl/ |website=Forest Park Review |access-date=14 March 2025 |date=11 February 2025}}