What Candy Made Its Fortune from Its Packaging?
You’ve probably had many. You may even have had a collection, perhaps themed. They may be in your kids’ lunchbox, your office, or decorating your dashboard.
Yes, PEZ!
The popular candies were originally marketed in 1927 as a breath mint. In 1948, a clever marketer designed a gimmicky dispenser that looked like a lighter to encourage smokers to quit. However, the product makers soon turned to creating the familiar character dispensers that we all recognize today.
The characters followed pop culture trends and soon became collector items. The first PEZ collector convention was held in 1991 — a testimony to the lasting popularity of the quirky packaging. PEZ now issues collector sets, and it seems the company will never run out of ways to provide infinite variety for its fans.
