CHICAGO, May 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- LEAF Brands®, LLC, the candy and snack manufacturer which garnished worldwide press last week after announcing the reintroduction of Hydrox™ sandwich cookie, won The Most Innovative Product Award at the National Sweets and Snacks Show in Chicago yesterday with their product Farts® Candy.
In a room full of industry professionals, Ellia Kassoff, the CEO of LEAF Brands® accepted the coveted 'Most Innovative Product Award' for Novelty candy after a rigorous vetting of over 250 different new products unveiled at the show Wednesday.
"We were ecstatic!" Kassoff said after winning. "We were competing with some of the largest candy companies in America, and retailers, industry professional and lastly, show attendees chose us because Farts® Candy is a fun product. Not only does the name make you laugh, we believe it's a great tasting candy, which brings fun back into the industry. When we initially came out with Farts, people didn't believe us and asked, 'Is it real?' I then gave them the product to try, and they couldn't stop eating it."
Farts® Candy, small pieces of candy that looks similar to a Nerd® but chewy with more intense flavors, was developed in partnership with Leaf Brands and Can You Imagine That!, a candy company owned by David Klein, the inventor of the Jelly Belly® Jelly Bean.
"People often complained Nerds® were too hard on your teeth, so we created our candy, which is soft, not hard, and has a better texture and taste," Klein said.
"The creation of Farts® is a very interesting story," Kassoff says. "David and his guys are true innovators, and we have a great partnership. One day, David and I were at his factory, and he gives me a new product his guys were developing. I said, 'David, great product, but let me work on the flavors, name and the packaging.' Next thing while walking my dogs, I came up with Farts® Candy to convey a fun and entertaining product which it represents. We had some initial pushback from retailers until they started laughing themselves when talking about the candy. Next thing you know they're ordering the product."
"I think it takes some time for people to understand what we're trying to do, and that's trying to bring back a little fun and laughter to everyday life," said Cody Sheean, Leaf's head of international sales and marketing. "Can you only imagine the flight attendants passing out little packages of our Farts Candy on an airline? Instead of people stressed out and tired on a plane, you would have fun and laughter. Who wouldn't want to take that plane trip?"
Farts comes in both Fruiti and Sour and will be sold in retail packages starting in July and currently sold in bulk in Dylan's Candy and other candy and specialty retailers around the country. Natural Farts will be coming soon.
LEAF'S strategy is to rebuild one of the largest candy and snack companies in the U.S., through brand acquisition and development of new and fun products for people to enjoy. LEAF also focuses on resurrecting many old brands in their original form, and then expand the product lines once the products are launched. Currently LEAF also has plans to bring back Bonkers!™ Fruit Chews in late 2014.
About LEAF Brands®, LLC: The original LEAF Brands® was started in the 1920's. LEAF Brands, once the fourth largest candy producer in North America, produced candy classics such as Whoppers®, Jolly Rancher® and Rain Blo Bubblegum®, which were later sold to Hershey® Chocolate & Confectionary Corporation in the late 1990's. Family members have acquired the LEAF brand name for the U.S., and assembled together to revive the LEAF name and its famous image. Products include Astro Pops®, Yummers!™, Farts Candy™ and David's Signature Beyond Gourmet™ products.
