Smoothie Jolly Ranchers were a popular variety of the classic hard candy produced by The Jolly Rancher Company. First introduced in 2002, the smoothie flavors were meant to capitalize on the growing popularity of smoothies at the time. The new Jolly Ranchers came in Blueberry Smoothie, Strawberry Smoothie, and Orange Smoothie flavors. The candies had a smoother texture and more liquid juice filling than the original fruit-flavored Jolly Ranchers.
The Launch and Brief Success of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers
The Jolly Rancher Company, a subsidiary of Hershey Foods Corporation, heavily marketed the launch of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers in 2002. Advertising highlighted the authentic fruit flavors and smoothie-like texture of the candies. Initially, the product launch was a success. Sales of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers grew steadily from 2002 to 2004.
The Smoothie Jolly Ranchers won praise from candy reviewers for their taste and texture. Critics said the candies had a more authentic, fruity flavor than the original fruit-flavored Jolly Ranchers. Reviewers noted the smooth liquid filling provided a nice burst of juicy flavor.
Consumers responded positively to the concept of a smoothie-inspired candy. In the early 2000s, smoothies were growing rapidly in popularity as a healthy, convenient food and beverage item. The Jolly Rancher Company cleverly capitalized on the smoothie trend.
The Discontinuation of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers
Despite initial strong sales and positive reviews, The Jolly Rancher Company discontinued Smoothie Jolly Ranchers in 2004, only about two years after launching the product.
There are a few factors that led to the demise of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers:
- Competition from other candy brands
- High production costs
- Cannibalization of original Jolly Rancher sales
Although Smoothie Jolly Ranchers increased total sales volume for The Jolly Rancher Company at first, the new product ended up competing for market share with the brand’s original hard fruit candies. Essentially, the smoothie candies cannibalized a portion of the customer base for classic Jolly Ranchers.
Additionally, the unique smooth texture and liquid filling of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers required special production processes that increased manufacturing costs compared to traditional hard candies. The high production costs of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers cut into profit margins for The Jolly Rancher Company.
Facing rising competition in the non-chocolate candy market, as well as high costs, The Jolly Rancher Company decided to play it safe and focus on its original bestselling candies. So, the Smoothie Jolly Ranchers were phased out by the end of 2004.
Attempted Re-Launch in 2011
After discontinuing Smoothie Jolly Ranchers in 2004, The Jolly Rancher Company did attempt to bring back the smoothie candies for a second time in 2011.
New packaging and marketing spotlighted the smoothie candy concept again in 2011. However, the relaunch ultimately proved unsuccessful. Smoothie Jolly Ranchers were pulled from the market for a second time after just a couple years.
The brief Smoothie Jolly Rancher revival in 2011 points to the enduring popularity of the concept. But the product’s high production costs and niche audience meant it never achieved mass market success or economies of scale.
Discontinued Flavors and the Legend of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers
Since Smoothie Jolly Ranchers were on the market only from 2002-2004, and briefly again in 2011-2013, the product has taken on a legendary, nostalgic status for many candy lovers and Jolly Rancher fans. The short-lived smoothie candies are remembered fondly by those who got to enjoy them.
On candy enthusiast websites and Reddit threads, Smoothie Jolly Ranchers are often referred to as the “Holy Grail” of discontinued candy. Fans lament that their favorite smoothie flavors were taken off the market far too soon.
The Smoothie Jolly Rancher flavors – Strawberry Smoothie, Blueberry Smoothie, and Orange Smoothie – have become the stuff of legend and online folklore among candy collectors and 2000s nostalgia blogs.
Occasionally, an unopened bag of vintage Smoothie Jolly Ranchers will surface online and sell for exorbitant prices on eBay or other auction sites, due to their rarity and holy grail status. The highly coveted vintage candies can fetch up to $50 to $100 for a single pack.
Why Smoothie Jolly Ranchers Failed
In retrospect, there are a few key reasons why Smoothie Jolly Ranchers never quite took off as a permanent Jolly Rancher variety:
- Too niche – The smoothie concept appealed strongly to some candy fans but was too unfamiliar for mass market success.
- Higher production costs – The unique smooth filling and texture required special manufacturing processes that cut into profits.
- Cannibalized classic Jolly Ranchers – Smoothie Jolly Ranchers competed with existing Jolly Rancher flavors for market share.
- Fickle candy preferences – Jolly Rancher flavors go in and out of style quickly, making it risky to launch new varieties.
While Smoothie Jolly Ranchers earned a cult following, the product faced hurdles out of the gate when it came to achieving mainstream success and longevity.
The Jolly Rancher Company likely determined the juice-filled smoothie candies were too risky and expensive to produce compared to their guaranteed top-selling classic fruit hard candies.
Could Smoothie Jolly Ranchers Make a Comeback?
Despite two failed launches in the 2000s, many loyal fans continue to hope in vain for the return of Smoothie Jolly Ranchers.
A third attempt to bring back Smoothie Jolly Ranchers seems highly unlikely at this point, given the product’s history of poor sales and high costs.
However, it’s not impossible. Consumer nostalgia for discontinued food products has successfully spurred the comeback of many snacks before, including Surge soda and French Toast Crunch cereal.
Perhaps if Smoothie Jolly Rancher fans organized an online petition or social media campaign, it could attract the attention of The Jolly Rancher Company. Though the company likely has no plans to resume making the unprofitable smoothie candies now, public pressure has swayed brands before.
For now, those craving the discontinued Smoothie Jolly Ranchers will have to scour eBay for rare vintage packages or resort to visiting specialty retro candy shops.
Conclusion
Smoothie Jolly Ranchers were an attempt by The Jolly Rancher Company to capitalize on the early 2000s smoothie trend. The juice-filled fruit candies were launched in 2002 but discontinued by 2004 due to high production costs and niche appeal. A brief Smoothie Jolly Rancher revival in 2011 also proved unsuccessful.
Though short-lived, Smoothie Jolly Ranchers won a cult following that reminisces fondly online about the discontinued candies to this day. However, the logistical and profit hurdles make it highly unlikely The Jolly Rancher Company would ever bring back the smoothie candy line.
For now, Smoothie Jolly Ranchers remain an elusive white whale product of the early 2000s, doomed to be remembered as a candy novelty but not to return. Nostalgic candy lovers will have to keep scouring old candy stockpiles to find one of the coveted Smoothie Jolly Ranchers that seemed to disappear as quickly as they arrived.
