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.”

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.