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The history of Sour Patch Kids has been able to win over children through the decades by following trends like the space race and Cabbage Patch Kids.
Martian origins: They weren’t always called Sour Patch Kids. The sour candies were invented by Canadian candy maker—Jaret International employee—Frank Galatolie in the early 1970s.
Galatolie named his new candy “Mars Men” as they were originally shaped like martians. The company was looking to capitalize on the space craze happening south of the border.
Many companies were looking to strike it rich with the Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969. This led to a fascination with space exploration and space-themed products—from toys and clothing to food items.
Launch: “Mars Men” was launched with just four flavors:
The original packaging featured a blonde boy based on Galatolie’s son, Scott.
Cabbage Patch Kids craze: “Mars Men” rebranded in 1985. Looking to capitalize on a new trend: Cabbage Patch Kids dolls.
The dolls had taken the toy market by storm since their introduction in 1982. Space was yesterday’s news.
Ditching the aliens: M & A Candy Company (the new owner) changed the candy shapes from martians to children. As they tried to copy the chubby-cheeked, dimpled appearance that made Cabbage Patch Kids. The company planned to have each colored candy have its own unique name and personality, just like the popular dolls. Cabbage Patch Kids came with unique names and adoption papers, fostering a sense of individuality and attachment.
Sour Patch Kids has had many owners over the years:
M & A Candy Company: in the late 1970s, production of Sour Patch Kids was taken over by the Allen Candy Company.ACC was formed by Cadbury and the Malaco Licorice Company in Hamilton, Ontario. It later became M & A Candy Company.
Cadbury-Adams: In the late 1990s, Cadbury-Adams acquired Sour Patch Kids.
Mondelez: Cadbury-Adams sold the rights to Mondelez International soon after and they are the company that are currently handling the production of Sour Patch Kids.
World Gone Sour was a 3D side-scrolling platform game promoting Sour Patch Kids candy. It was developed in 2011 by Canadian studio Playbrains.
Release: The game was released on December 20, 2011 for Windows and later came out on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in April 2012.
Gameplay: In the game, players would control a green Sour Patch Kid character through 13 levels, collecting followers and overcoming obstacles in a quest to be eaten. It featured both single-player and multiplayer modes. The point of the game was to sacrifice other Sour Patch Kids to progress.
Reception & availability: World Gone Sour received mixed reviews from critics. Most gave it mediocre to bad reviews.
The game was delisted from PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in August 2015.
Mondelez has recently released a variety of products via partnerships:
2014: Sour Patch Kids gum.
2018: They released many new products, including:
2024: Sour Patch Kids Oreos.
The brand has also found some success in international markets:
France: The candy is known as “Very Bad Kids” in France.
United Kingdom: In the UK, Sour Patch Kids are known as Maynards Sour Patch Kids. They feature unique flavors like blackcurrant and special editions like “Heads and Bodies,” where the candy’s heads are separated from their bodies.
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