Mike and Ike is a brand of fruit-flavored candies that were first introduced in 1942 by the company Just Born, Inc. The origin of the candy's name remains unknown, but there are many conjectures. Mike and Ikes were originally all fruit flavored but now come in several different varieties which have been introduced over the years.
History
The Mike and Ike brand was first introduced in 1940 by Just Born, Inc., which is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Its origin uncertain, the name may have come from the comic strip Mike and Ike, which, however, had ended by the 1940s. Or the name may have referred to the Matina Brothers, two of whom, nicknamed "Mike" & "Ike," were billed as circus midgets and had roles as Munchkins in the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Oz; the author Dean Jensen wrote without cited evidence that the two became so popular in America that a boxed candy was named after them. Other proposals include a company-wide contest, a vaudevillesong titled “Mike and Ike”, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose nickname was "Ike." Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company in 1953 and produced new flavors of the candy, such as cotton candy. Additional flavors such as Root Beer came in the 1960s, and others have been introduced on and off since.
Candy
Mike and Ike are oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, orange, lime, lemon, and strawberry. Popular varieties are Tropical Typhoon, Berry Blast and Jolly Joes. Each candy has 7 calories, 0 grams of fat, and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free. They are similar to Hot Tamales, another candy introduced by the same manufacturer in 1950, though they are not spicy.
Varieties
Just Born produces several varieties of Mike and Ikes, including:
There are also seasonal packages for Easter in which the Mike and Ike flavors are formed as jelly beans.
Media
In April 2012, the company ran an ad campaign based on the premise that Mike and Ike were "breaking up" due to "creative differences"; the packaging showed one or the other name scratched out. The campaign was intended to capture the interest of younger consumers. In 2013 the company announced Mike and Ike would reunite. In addition to a re-designed packaging and juicier tasting candy, a trailer for a movie was released, entitled, The Return of Mike and Ike.
