JUST BORN, MAKER OF MIKE AND IKE®, PEEPS®, HOT TAMALES®, AND GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS®, NAMES CURIOSITY AS AGENCY OF RECORD FOR FULL PORTFOLIO OF BRANDS

Family-owned candy maker consolidates marketing assignments under independent agency to celebrate its iconic brands and strengthen their cultural relevance for a new generation

Just Born, the family-owned candy maker behind nostalgic favorites like MIKE AND IKE®, PEEPS®, HOT TAMALES®, and GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS®, has named Cincinnati independent agency Curiosity its agency of record. Under the new partnership, Curiosity will lead creative, strategy,  media, analytics, and social media for all four brands. Just Born will continue to work with specialty partners for public relations, web design and development projects.

The decision follows a national agency review led business was awarded to Curiosity following a national review led by MLA Consulting and Just Born that launched earlier this year.

The partnership marks Just Born’s shift from multiple agency relationships across each individual brand to one single and unified partnership, and comes as Just Born celebrates more than a century of candy-making. As nostalgia-driven brands are experiencing renewed cultural relevance across categories from snacks to apparel to entertainment, Just Born is looking to Curiosity to both honor its heritage and reignite the fandom among generations new and old.

“Few brands have the cultural footprint of MIKE AND IKE® or PEEPS®,” said Meenakshi Trehan, Chief Growth Officer at Just Born. “Curiosity instantly saw how these brands live in people’s memories and in pop culture. Their strategic thinking, creativity, and genuine passion made it clear they were the right partner to help us honor our past while keeping our brands fresh, relevant, and inspiring for today’s consumers.”

For Curiosity, the win marks a return to the confectionery category following previous collaborations with Perfetti Van Melle and Crazy Candy. Its first work for Just Born is set to launch Q1 with an integrated campaign for MIKE AND IKE, the company’s largest brand by dollar sales, followed by new creative work for PEEPS.

“The Just Born family of brands doesn’t just make candy, they make memories,” said Ashley Walters, Partner and CMO at Curiosity. “They’re a time machine, a playground, a sweet reminder of childhood. Our job isn’t to just sell candy. We’re selling culture, emotion, and an unmistakable vibe that makes people smile.”

Source: Curiosity

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