Family-owned Smarties Keeps the Nostalgia Brand Rolling

Keeping Grandpa's candy recipe continues pastel pellet production

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Ghosts and goblins don’t scare the leaders of the Smarties Candy Co.

In fact, the trio of execs who run the family-owned business embrace all things Halloween—a holiday they spend at least nine months prepping for and during which they sell millions of the iconic pill-sized, fruit-flavored candies.

“It’s our Super Bowl,” said Liz Dee, co-president alongside her sister, Jessica Dee Sawyer, and cousin, Sarah Dee. “It’s by far our biggest sales season.”

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But what chills them to the bone is the thought of tinkering with the beloved brand their grandfather launched 70 years ago.

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This story first appeared in the Oct. 21, 2019, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.