Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere — some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can't write about everything that we get pitched, so here are the leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Halloween is upon us, meaning it's time to visit graveyards, get scary and have parties. This week, we show food products doing just that, but with a twist.
Ben & Jerry’s flavor graveyard
Is there anything more tragic than a discontinued ice cream flavor?
For many Ben & Jerry's fans, the answer is no. But not to worry! The beloved ice cream maker is giving its customers a chance to pay their respects to fallen favorites like Rainforest Crunch, Cool Brittania and Wavy Gravy at its flavor cemetery in Waterbury, Vermont.
The graveyard, complete with granite tombstones and a white picket fence, has seen 40 flavors laid to rest since its opening in 1997. For mourners who can't make the trip to the company’s hallowed ground, Ben & Jerry’s offers a virtual graveyard experience and a guide for walking through the Five Stages of Flavor Grief.
"Ben & Jerry's is known for outrageous, chunky, funky flavors," said Flavor Guru Eric Fredette. "But experimentation comes with risk, and not everybody likes our edgier ideas. Like everything else, ice cream flavors have a beginning and an end."
That end may not be permanent, however — every once in a while, a flavor makes its way back from the dead.
— Emma Liem
Don't fear the reaper
This time of year gives brands an opportunity to put a spooky twist on their classic treats. And that’s just what Fine & Raw, an artisanal organic chocolate maker, is going for with its latest bar.
The company just launched its limited edition Halloween chocolate bar, called the "Cat Reaper Sea Salt Bar." The wrapper features a feline as the grim reaper with blood splatter to attract artsy consumers who love the haunted holiday. The packaging features artwork from New York City artist Yusuke Okada.
The new bar can be purchased online, at the F&R factory/cafe in Brooklyn, New York, and select retailers for $8.50. Although it is on the more expensive side, Fine & Raw is a healthier organic chocolate brand, so it has the potential to attract the better-for-you crowd as well as the consumers who just want Halloween sweets this month.
— Lillianna Byington
After 86 years, 3 Musketeers gets a birthday cake
Whose birthday is it? With 3 Musketeers' newest bar, featuring vanilla nougat with colorful sprinkles, does it matter? It’s party time.
The birthday cake-flavored bar is the first new flavor in six years for the brand, which deserves a cake after 86 years of sweet success for Mars.
"The birthday cake flavor is a growing trend and one that we knew would be a perfect center to the iconic 3 Musketeers bar," Brand Manager Rosemary Nocito said in a press release. "Our mission is to spread small moments of joy with our fans and this latest flavor brings that celebratory feeling to the everyday."
With this new launch, 3 Musketeers joins frappuccinos and Pop-Tarts in the pantheon of products that give consumers a taste of their birthday celebration all year long. Consumers who are feeling festive can get their birthday cake fix at Walmart, where it is sold exclusively in a 2.14-oz share size and a miniatures pouch through the end of the year. It is set to roll out nationwide in January, just in time for 2019 birthdays.
— Megan Poinski
The after-drinking drink
The former head of Red Bull UK's key product was designed to give consumers a much-needed energy boost. His latest endeavor takes a decidedly more low-key approach.
Harry Drnec is launching a detox drink called Sober Up to "reduce the toxic effects of alcohol, boost mental clarity and help prevent hangovers." It's a far cry from his earlier career with the energy drink company, or the time he spent working with alcohol brands such as Gallo Wines and Budweiser. Drnec led the team that launched one of the best-selling beers in the world, Bud Light, according to a statement.
To give Sober Up a boost, Drnec is launching the product on Indiegogo in order to raise money and identify people who live a healthy lifestyle, but still like to enjoy alcohol. The funding will go toward scaling up production, selling the drink online and in retail stores and launching a version with cannabidiol — the non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana.
— Christopher Doering
