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Hershey is expanding its Shaq-A-Licious line of gummies to meet growing demand for different textures and gamified experiences.
The Pennsylvania-based company will launch Shaq-A-Licious Slams, featuring chewy, sour mango rings and crunchy candy-coated gummy balls. The balls are available in watermelon, strawberry, and orange flavors.
Consumers can play with the candy by placing basketball-shaped jelly into the mango ring. Additionally, the variety of flavors allows shoppers to mix and match according to their preferences.
“SLAMS is a game changer for the Shaq-A-Licious brand and exemplifies our approach to candy innovation,” Vivek Mehrotra, senior brand manager for Shaq-A-Licious at Hershey, said in a statement. “Packaging crunchy jelly balls inside sour mango rings creates a textured bite unlike anything else in the jelly aisle.”
Hershey is best known for its namesake chocolate bars Kisses and Reese’s, but it has been aggressively strengthening its presence in the fast-growing gummy segment. Hershey Announces Partnership in 2024 They teamed up with basketball star Shaquille O’Neal to launch Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies and brought back hard candy as well. Jolly Rancher has been added to the category.
Shaq-A-Licious Slams is scheduled to hit retailers this month. Hershey said O’Neal handles all Shaq-A-Licious products “hands-on,” including flavors, flavors, packaging and launch.
Gummies have proven to be particularly attractive to a variety of age groups. Millennials who grew up with spiders and bears as children. Now, adults are feeling nostalgic and turning to snacks for themselves or their children that remind them of the past.
For Gen Z and other young consumers, gummies are attractive because their bright colors and squishy texture provide a food they can play with and eat.
Demand for gummies has surged as consumers enjoy more snacks at home due to COVID-19. Since then, The popularity hasn’t cooled down. Gummies have proven to be a valuable platform for snack companies to innovate, especially when it comes to texture.
Nerds Gummy Clusters, gummy candies coated with nerds, have become a standout hit for Ferrara, which is owned by a Ferrero holding company. Innovations have increased overall brand sales by approx. $900 million in 2025That compares to just $50 million when the Nerds were acquired. nestle In 2018.
Some food companies have prioritized making their brands fun to stand out in the market. $48 billion confectionery sector.
For example, gum brand Bazooka Brands last year launched the Juicy Drop Gummy Mystery Cube, a large gum candy that consumers must peel to discover the gelatinous land or sea creature inside.
“There’s an element of entertainment,” says Becky Silberfarb, vice president of marketing at Bazooka Brands. said in an interview Last May. “You don’t just eat candy.”
