In honor of Easter last weekend, and the multitude of candy that comes along with it, I wanted to give a brief history on some candy bars, and show how the wrappers have changed along with time. Here are a few:

ZERO BAR:

1931 Wrapper

Current Wrapper

Upon its release in the early 30’s, this bar was originally called the Double Zero Bar but in 1034 it was changed to simply ZERO.  The first image is the original wrapper from 1931 that helps explain what the mysteriously-named Zero Bar is all about. I guess it was a cool, tasty treat… so cool, it’s like zero degrees. AH, i get it now! Take a look at the ad on the left of the wrapper. Its from a quaint little time when children dreamed of saving up for THE WHIZZER, “a real steam engine that runs!” Nowadays, most kids probably don’t know what a steam engine is or what it would be good for.

The second wrapper is the current one. It still has those “cold” colors, but looks a little more futuristic then cold.  I wish I could still save up for a whizzer though.

BUTTERFINGER:

1940s Wrapper

1980s Wrapper

Current Wrapper

Limited Edition 2009 Butterfinger BUZZ

There isnt much history here except that the Butterfinger was invented by the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago, Illinois, in 1923. Interestingly enough, the company held a public contest to choose the name of the candy. The name Butterfinger is a slang term used to describe a clumsy person, often in sporting events to describe an athlete who can’t hold onto the ball.  The Butterfinger candy bar was later sold to Nabisco, and, in 1990, Nestlé bought Butterfinger from Nabisco.

The original wrapper was pretty simple and as you can see, the bar sold for a whopping 1 cent! The 80’s wrapper kept the originally coloring and stayed this way til the words “BUTTERFINGER” were given some spice in the new millenium.

Now, you can even get a Butterfinger BUZZ.. which claims to have as much caffeine as an energy drink! As if the sugar wasnt enough for your children, now you can get them amped on THIS treat! Oh and check out the last line on the package…

SNICKERS:

1940s Wrapper

1980s Wrapper

Current Wrapper

2007 Snickers RETRO Wrapper

Introduced in 1929 by Frank and Ethel Mars, the Snickers bar was named after their family horse and originally were sold for a nickel. Now, Snickers is the best selling chocolate bar of all time and has annual global sales of US $2 billion.

The original wrapper doesnt appear to have any signature brown in it at all. Actually, nothing from the original seems to have followed into the current wrapper. Maybe the all uppercase name. In 2007 they produced a RETRO version of the wrapper that mocked the original but still brought in the brown.

BABY RUTH:

1930s Wrapper

1960s Wrapper

1980s Wrapper

Current Wrapper

The Curtiss Candy Company has traditionally claimed that the Baby Ruth candy bar was named after President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth Cleveland. Skeptics are quick to point out that not only did Ruth Cleveland die 16 years before the introduction of the Baby Ruth bar, but the company had originally negotiated a failed endorsement deal with legendary baseball player Babe Ruth. Some have suggested that secretly naming the candy bar after Ruth was a way to tie him to their product without paying any royalties.  Today, the Baby Ruth bar is owned by Nestlé.

The original wrapper and the 1960s wrapper dont differ all too much, but the jump from that to the 80s one is pretty big. They kept the simple white and similar typeface, but got rid of the mess that was surrounding the logo. The current one has a sporty line thrown into the mix, but other than that, its pretty similar to the 80s one.