Three of the brand’s products – Crème Patties, Rounds and Peanut-Shaped Family Size Cookies – hit shelves in the decade-centric packaging in June.
The 1969 version pays homage to ‘The Summer of Love’ with a tie-dyed design, while the 70s focuses on the disco era and the early aughts on the dot-com boom. Each package coordinates with a chance for consumers to win a trip to one of five US cities, each an ‘iconic destination that defined the decades,’ according to the brand.
“A lot has changed in the last fifty years, but one thing has remained a classic: the nutty taste of our iconic peanut butter sandwich cookie,” said Tracey Benitz, associate director of Nutter Butter.
“In celebration of our milestone birthday, we are excited to take peanut butter lovers on a journey back in time reliving their nuttiest memories over [the] past five decades through imaginative digital memes and videos, retro package designs, custom apparel and more.”
50 years of Nutter Butter
1969 Nutter Butter launches in its iconic peanut-shaped form
1992 Crème Patties and bite-sized pieces are added to the portfolio
2012 The new ‘Go Cup’ packs Nutter Butter Bites in a convenient, resealable plastic cup
2019 Fudge-covered cookies enter the mix
The brand has also partnered with Johnny Cupcakes, a food-themed clothing company, to create T-shirts emblazoned with pop culture references. Known for its cupcake-and-crossbones design, Johnny Cupcakes opened in 2006 ‘the world’s first t-shirt bakery’: a retail outlet set up like a bakery, with t-shirts lining deli cases and purchases packed in pastry boxes.
“Collaborating and adding our signature quirky vision with a special brand from my childhood has been a blast!” said founder Johnny Earle.
Collaborations and maybe CBD
Nutter Butter told BakeryandSnacks it hopes the campaign will drive brand awareness and build loyalty with new audiences through social media, collaborations and events.
Krispy Kreme has also gotten into the act through donuts with a Nutter Butter twist, while 7-Eleven sells lattes flavored like the cookie. In fact, brand partnerships have played a major role in Nut Butter’s marketing since 2016: Sonic, the nostalgic drive-in fast-food chain, sells Nutter Butter Banana Cookie Jar milkshakes, and Bakers Square, a Nashville-based casual restaurant chain, offers a Nutter Butter Banana Supreme pie.
Parent company Mondelēz, which acquired Nabisco from Kraft in 2012, is toying with the idea of adding cannabidiol (CBD) to some of its existing snacks, including Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers and Nutter Butter. The snack maker might even create a specially dedicated range.
In a May interview on CNBC, CEO Dirk Van de Put said the company was preparing for the FDA’s potential approval of CBD as a food additive.
