Mike and Ike explained

Mike and Ike
Country:Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA .
Creator:Just Born, Inc.
Variations:Tropical Typhoon, Berry Blast, etc.
Calories:80
Serving Size:22g
Carbohydrate:20
Protein:0
Fat:0
Other:kosher
gluten-free

Mike and Ike is an American brand of fruit-flavored candies that were first introduced in 1940 by the company Just Born, Inc. Despite conjecture, the origin of the candy's name remains unknown. Mike and Ike were originally all fruit flavored but now come in several different varieties.

History

Mike and Ike is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.[1] People have claimed that the name may have come from the comic strip Mike and Ike (They Look Alike), which had ended by the 1940s. People also claimed the name may have referred to the popular 1930's National Champion Air Race winning aircraft "Mike" and "Ike" built by Benny Howard and flown by Harold Neumann. Or other people claimed the Matina Brothers, two of whom, nicknamed "Mike" & "Ike," were billed as circus dwarves and had roles as Munchkins in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz; author Dean Jensen claimed the two brothers had become so popular in America that a boxed candy was named after them.[2] Other proposals include a company-wide contest, the creators' names being Mike and Ike, a vaudeville song titled “Mike and Ike”, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose nickname was "Ike."[3] Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company in 1953 and, with the help of Rodda's expertise in jelly beans, produced new Mike and Ike flavors, such as cotton candy. Additional flavors such as Root Beer came in the 1960s, and others have been introduced on and off since.[4] [5]

Candy

Mike and Ike are oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime. Popular varieties are Tropical Typhoon, Berry Blast and Jolly Joes. Each candy has 7 calories, 0 grams of fat, and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free.[6]

They are similar to Hot Tamales, another candy introduced by the same manufacturer in 1950, though they are not spicy.[7]

Varieties

Just Born produces several varieties of Mike and Ikes, including:[8] [9]

NamePackage colorFirst availablePackage type
Original FruitsGreen1940Box, bag, or freezer pop
Berry BlastBlue1987Box or bag
Orange (possibly the former Tangy Twister)Orange2005Box or bag
Tropical TyphoonPink1977Box or bag
Italian Ice (cannot be found in stores or online)Light blue2008Box or bag
Lemonade Blends (possiblyYellow2007Box or bag
Jolly Joes (not recalled, rare)Purple1973Box
Sour Fruits (possibly replaced by Mega Mix Sour)Yellow1999Box or bag
Red RageousRed2009Box or bag
Strawberry Reunion[10] (cannot be found in stores or online)Black and pink2013Box
Sweet Paradise (cannot be found in stores or online)Light Purple2014Box
Mega MixLight Blue with rainbow2016Box or bag
Mega Mix SourLight Green with rainbow2018Box or bag
Retro/limited varieties include:[11]

There are also seasonal packages for Easter in which the Mike and Ike flavors are formed as jelly beans.[12]

Media

In April 2012, the company ran an ad campaign based on the premise that Mike and Ike were "breaking up" due to "creative differences"; the packaging showed one or the other name scratched out. The campaign was intended to capture the interest of younger consumers.[13] [14] [15] In 2013 the company announced Mike and Ike would reunite. In addition to a re-designed packaging and juicier tasting candy, a trailer for a movie was released, entitled, The Return of Mike and Ike.[16]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Encyclopedia of junk food and fast food . Andrew F. Smith . Greenwood Publishing Group . 2006. 9780313335273 . September 24, 2010.
  2. Book: The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins. Dean Jensen. Ten Speed Press. 53. 978-1580087582. September 1, 2006. April 28, 2017.
  3. Web site: Mike & Ike History. Old Time Candy. November 22, 2017.
  4. Web site: 10 Sweet and Colorful Facts About Mike and Ike. Jeff Wells. Mental Floss. January 22, 2016. November 22, 2017.
  5. Web site: Our History Just Born . 2023-10-04 . www.justborn.com.
  6. Fruity Facts about Mike and Ike . Just Born . September 24, 2010.
  7. Book: The Oxford companion to American food and drink. Andrew F. Smith . Oxford University Press . 2007 . 9780195307962 . September 24, 2010.
  8. Web site: Mike and Ike candy flavors . justborn . 2013-05-11.
  9. Web site: Just Born Interactive Timeline . Just Born . 2013-05-11.
  10. Web site: Mike And Ike Getting Back Together After Messy Divorce . huffingtonpost . 2013-03-20 . 2013-05-11.
  11. Web site: Mike and Ike candy flavors . justborn . 2013-05-11.
  12. Web site: Stock up. Just Born INC. 2010 . December 1, 2010.
  13. News: Maryclaire . Dale . Mike and Ike announce split in cheeky ad campaign . April 13, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120416225716/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-04/D9U4ADMG1.htm . dead . April 16, 2012 . . . May 15, 2012.
  14. News: Dave . Bangert . A culture war in the candy aisle . April 28, 2012 . . May 15, 2012.
  15. News: Ana Marie . Cox . Same-sex marriage amendments: bigotry's last gasp . May 8, 2012 . . May 15, 2012.
  16. Web site: Mike and Ike's 'Breakup' Lifted Sales and Social . ADWEEK . 2013-03-27 . 2013-05-11.