The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO), the maker of the
well-loved Sweethearts candy with affectionate sayings, is getting
personal leading up to Valentine’s Day by unveiling new products and
platforms to make the holiday even more special for friends and loved
ones. Their new launches this month include: #Tweethearts, a customized
social media campaign which uses Twitter to create personalized
Sweethearts candies; a first-ever “Color Your Own” Sweethearts packaging
and design contest for kids; and limited-edition engraveable solid gold
Sweethearts with custom messages.
In time for Valentine's Day, NECCO is releasing limited-edition, 24 karat solid gold Sweethearts with your personalized message for the price of $19,995 (Photo: Business Wire)
For those lucky in love looking for a high end gift as sweet as candy,
NECCO has it covered, as they introduce 24 karat gold custom
Sweethearts. For the first time ever, customers can purchase a box of
four one-half ounce sweethearts in solid gold, packaged in a Sweethearts
box, for the price of $19,995. The luxurious solid gold Sweethearts are
available for purchase exclusively to the first 14 purchasers at NECCO’s
online store, www.mynecco.com.
For those with less extravagant tastes, lower-priced customizable candy
items are available on the site.
“Each year passionate fans reach out to inform us they love Sweethearts
and are constantly seeking more extraordinary ways to express their
love,” explains Alyssa Hills, NECCO’s director of marketing. “In
response to this year’s Valentine’s Day excitement, we are offering even
more bold ways of customization – like our solid gold heart stunners.”
With social media providing an ever-expanding way to express one’s
sentiment, NECCO just launched #Tweethearts, a customized social
campaign, created by advertising and marketing agency Hill Holliday. The
#Tweetheart platform allows users to create customized Sweetheart candy
hearts for the big day using Twitter. The dedicated website, www.neccotweethearts.com,
features a friendly interface where users are invited to send a
personalized tweet to @tweethearts. After sending the tweet, a user
receives a response tweet with an image of a Sweetheart with his or her
message. Users can then order the personalized candies for delivery,
share the image virally, or both. Those choosing delivery can purchase
their customized candy in a one pound bag for $29.99, delivered within
five business days.
Rick McHugh, vice president, creative director at Hill Holliday and one
of the talents behind the #Tweethearts campaign, said of the program,
“#Tweethearts is truly a modern way to celebrate the classic NECCO
Sweethearts brand on its biggest day of the year. Turning something
that's digital into something that's physical is a dream creative
assignment, and we’re thrilled to bring it to life for NECCO.”
For the youngest generations of Sweethearts fans who want to get
creative this Valentine’s Day, NECCO released a new packaging and a
“Color Your Own” contest for children ages 5-12. The black and white,
crayon and marker-friendly Sweethearts “Color Your Own” packaging was
developed to invoke kids’ imaginations. The boxes provide a canvas for
kids to create a personalized gift – and the designs can be entered in
the “Color Your Own” contest at www.necco.com,
that runs through March 1, 2014. Grand prize winners in each category
receive a $1,000 savings bond certificate and the opportunity to have
their own personal saying appear as a Sweetheart candy for the 2015
Valentine’s Day season. The runners-up will win a giant NECCO goodie bag
worth $200 each.
Sweethearts Conversation Hearts were created in 1866. The hearts first
became a wedding day favorite, bearing messages meant for the bride and
groom, however, soon the entire family began to enjoy today’s
confectionery treat. Sweethearts are a leading Valentine’s Day candy and
still feature some of the original sayings including “Kiss Me” and “Be
Mine.” More than four million pounds of Sweethearts candies are sold in
the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.
About
The New England Confectionery Company, Inc. (www.necco.com)
was founded in 1866 and is the longest running, multi-line candy company
in the United States. With nearly 150 years of history, the New England
Confectionery Company's popular brands include: Sweethearts®, NECCO
Wafers®, Mary Jane®, Clark®, Haviland®, Canada Mints®, Skybar®, Mighty
Malts®, and Candy House®. Today, the New England Confectionery Company
is a leader in seasonal products, particularly for Valentine's Day, and
also manufactures well-loved everyday products. More than 500
confectionery items are produced at the company's state-of-the-art
headquarters in Revere, MA, which has consistently received a Superior
rating from the American Institute of Baking. The New England
Confectionery Company also produces private label products and performs
contract manufacturing for other confectionery companies.
About Hill Holliday
Hill Holliday is proud to be among the top creative marketing agencies
in the country, with 950 employees across its network. We work on some
of the nation's largest and most respected brands, and our success came
by putting people and ideas first. We were founded in 1968 and today we
bring unbeatable talent and expertise to every area of modern
communications on behalf of industry leaders like Cadillac, Verizon
Wireless, Bank of America, Dunkin' Donuts, (RED), John Hancock,
TripAdvisor, Major League Baseball, TJX, Merrell, Capella University,
Chili's, Novartis and WHOLE WORLD Water. For more about our people, our
work, and our culture, please visit http://www.hhcc.com.
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