Holiday-themed offerings get extreme - Amazon S3 · 2020. 10. 27. · of holiday event this year, either at home or another venue, ... Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve,”

Holiday-themed offerings get extremefoodbusinessnews.net/articles/17153-holiday-themed-offerings-get-extreme

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Spooky spirits for adults

Stella Rosa likes to evolve with the spirit of the times when it comes to wine trends and popular culture.Just in time for Halloween, the Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles, dresses up its award-

winning semi-sweet, semi-sparkling Italian wines, transforming them into the Stellaween Collection,which features signature wines masked in a colorful, limited-edition art designs. The winery also has

partnered with Jose Cuervo to Stellabrate with spooktacular wine cocktail recipes.Source: Riboli Family Wines

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Dunkin’ gets ghostly

Nuggets are on notice, sandwiches be warned, and move over tacos: A donut is now heating up thebattle for spicy superiority. Dunkin’ is rolling out the Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut, a classic yeast donut

ring topped with a strawberry flavored icing that features a bold blend of cayenne and ghost pepper andis finished with red sanding sugar for a sizzling look. The chain also is offering donut decorating kits,

which feature plain yeast or cake donuts with pre-packaged icing in orange, white and chocolatevarieties, and three sprinkle blends.Source: Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.

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Quaker introduces better-for-you treats

Quaker Chewy is offering limited-edition Halloween mini granola bars with candy pieces. Made with100% whole grain and no high-fructose corn syrup, the individually wrapped treats come in chocolate

chip and cookies and cream varieties.Photo: PepsiCo, Inc.

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Aldi goes all out.

Private label retailer Aldi is ready for Halloween. There’s a haunted chocolate cookie house for craftingand Halloween-themed apple cinnamon fruit squeezes for snacking. The new frozen jack-o-lantern-shaped pizza is topped with butternut squash sauce, cheddar, mozzarella and mascarpone cheese.There’s also bat, pumpkin and spider shapes of pasta and a range of spooky cheeses. The Freaky

Franken is a mild Derby cheese infused with dried sage. Scary Pumpkin Spice is a pumpkin-shapedWensleydale seasoned with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Source: Aldi

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Kraft Heinz shows its vampire side

New Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup gives families a fun way to go big with their spooky celebrations. Thelimited-edition bottles are filled with traditional Heinz Ketchup.

Photo: The Kraft Heinz Co.

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Spooky spirits for adults

Stella Rosa likes to evolve with the spirit of the times when it comes to wine trends and popular culture.Just in time for Halloween, the Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles, dresses up its award-

winning semi-sweet, semi-sparkling Italian wines, transforming them into the Stellaween Collection,which features signature wines masked in a colorful, limited-edition art designs. The winery also has

partnered with Jose Cuervo to Stellabrate with spooktacular wine cocktail recipes.Source: Riboli Family Wines

6/15

Dunkin’ gets ghostly

Nuggets are on notice, sandwiches be warned, and move over tacos: A donut is now heating up thebattle for spicy superiority. Dunkin’ is rolling out the Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut, a classic yeast donut

ring topped with a strawberry flavored icing that features a bold blend of cayenne and ghost pepper andis finished with red sanding sugar for a sizzling look. The chain also is offering donut decorating kits,

which feature plain yeast or cake donuts with pre-packaged icing in orange, white and chocolatevarieties, and three sprinkle blends.Source: Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.

7/15

Quaker introduces better-for-you treats

Quaker Chewy is offering limited-edition Halloween mini granola bars with candy pieces. Made with100% whole grain and no high-fructose corn syrup, the individually wrapped treats come in chocolate

chip and cookies and cream varieties.Photo: PepsiCo, Inc.

8/15

Aldi goes all out.

Private label retailer Aldi is ready for Halloween. There’s a haunted chocolate cookie house for craftingand Halloween-themed apple cinnamon fruit squeezes for snacking. The new frozen jack-o-lantern-shaped pizza is topped with butternut squash sauce, cheddar, mozzarella and mascarpone cheese.There’s also bat, pumpkin and spider shapes of pasta and a range of spooky cheeses. The Freaky

Franken is a mild Derby cheese infused with dried sage. Scary Pumpkin Spice is a pumpkin-shapedWensleydale seasoned with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Source: Aldi

9/15

Kraft Heinz shows its vampire side

New Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup gives families a fun way to go big with their spooky celebrations. Thelimited-edition bottles are filled with traditional Heinz Ketchup.

Photo: The Kraft Heinz Co.

10/15

Spooky spirits for adults

Stella Rosa likes to evolve with the spirit of the times when it comes to wine trends and popular culture.Just in time for Halloween, the Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles, dresses up its award-

winning semi-sweet, semi-sparkling Italian wines, transforming them into the Stellaween Collection,which features signature wines masked in a colorful, limited-edition art designs. The winery also has

partnered with Jose Cuervo to Stellabrate with spooktacular wine cocktail recipes.Source: Riboli Family Wines

CHICAGO — Checkers & Rally’s Restaurant Inc., Tampa, Fla.,announced it is inviting guests in costume to trick-or-treat through thedrive-thru on Saturday, Oct. 31, to receive a free four-piece order ofMonsterella Stix (breaded mozzarella sticks tossed with the company’sspecial fry seasoning and served with marinara sauce) with anypurchase. No coupon required. This is just one of many examples ofhow food and beverage marketers have stepped up to the challenge ofmaking sure Halloween happens — albeit with social distancing —during the global pandemic.

“With a name like Monsterella Stix, it’s only fitting that we offer them to our loyal guests asa Halloween treat,” said Dwayne Chambers, chief marketing officer. “We wanted to be ableto give our customers, no matter their age, the opportunity to trick-or-treat safely and enjoyHalloween.”

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Food and beverage marketers — retail and foodservice — may want toexplore innovative ways to connect with consumers over the fall andwinter holiday months, from Thanksgiving to St. Patrick’s Day, andquite possibly into spring for Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021. Whilelimited-edition and seasonal products long have been around andhave had an increased presence in recent years, during the globalpandemic they are one of the few little things available to providesome holiday spark.

“With COVID-19 on the rise across the country, this year’s holidayseason is shaping up to be one of the least festive on record,” saidJordan Cohen, chief marketing officer, What If Media Group, Fort Lee,NJ.

A recent survey by the performance-marketing company shows that76% of respondents are not planning on hosting any sort of holidayparty this year, even though 40% of those not planning onhosting have done so in recent years. The online survey wasconducted with almost 23,000 US adults on Oct. 14-19.With just 19.4% of respondents intending to host some sortof holiday event this year, either at home or another venue,it seems that the season will not provide the kind of reliefthat many in the event and catering industry have beenhoping for after a year marked by shutdowns and reducedcapacity due to social distancing requirements. Elsewhere,retailers likely will feel the effects of lower spending ongifts, decorations and even clothing for parties.

“Halloween has always had a big presence, not only as a fun, spooky time for both kids andadults alike, but also as the major holiday leading up to other big celebrations likeThanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” said Laurie Demeritt, chief executiveofficer, The Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash. “And yet, as with disruptions brought uponmost aspects of life, COVID-19’s effect on Halloween appears to be dampening consumerspending as well as altering their intentions to celebrate it.”

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Research from the National Retail Federation, Washington, projects $8 billion inHalloween spending for 2020. This is down from about $8.8 billion last year because of anexpected dip in consumer participation in holiday activities.

“As we enter the holiday season, a very important time for the food and beverage industry,we are left wondering whether and how consumers will celebrate this tumultuous year,”Ms. Demeritt said. “Our recent research finds that despite pandemic concerns, mostconsumers plan to celebrate the holidays but, of course, differently.

“In a typical year, the majority of consumers report loving Thanksgiving and the Decemberholidays (Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, etc.) and celebrate them to the fullest.Halloween and New Year’s are also appreciated by consumers, but not as beloved. Thisyear, the majority of consumers anticipate celebrating these holidays the same as in prioryears or doing more for them than ever before. The only exception is Halloween. Almosthalf of consumers anticipate doing less for Halloween or ignoring it completely.”

Halloween was identified as the holiday most likely to be “completely reinvented” byconsumers. Only a small minority of consumers indicated that their families would engagein traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating and/or host or attend a large party.

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Reinvention concepts include making a special Halloween-themed dinner.

That’s what companies like Kraft Heinz, Chicago, are counting on with the rollout of HeinzTomato Blood Ketchup. Internet searches show creative parents will be carving hot dogs tolook like fingers and turning French fries into vampire fangs. Kraft Heinz wants to add theketchup blood to these festive foods.

“Families have had to navigate a lot this year, and Halloween is no exception.” — ShellyHayden, The Kraft Heinz Co.

“Families have had to navigate a lot this year, and Halloween is no exception,” said ShellyHayden, brand manager. “With Heinz Tomato Blood Ketchup, we want to give families afun way to go big with their spooky celebrations, even if they look a little different in2020.”

Aldi, Batavia, Ill., is well stocked with a larger range of Halloween-themed foods than inpast years. The private label retailer offers everything from a pumpkin-shaped frozen pizzato a haunted house decorating kit.

“Consumers are looking forward to fun and good times during the holidays,” Ms. Demerittsaid. “The December holidays in particular are times when consumers say theytraditionally like to ‘celebrate the holiday to the fullest.’ This year, that definitely includesplanning, shopping for, preparing and enjoying special foods as they are central to ourcultural celebrations.

“The kitchen will be a busy place this holiday season. Traditional favorites will dominateholiday menus as consumers do not feel the Thanksgiving and December holidays are ripefor reinvention and innovation this year in terms of food choices. That said, the Decemberholidays are somewhat more likely than Thanksgiving to be a time when consumers mightexplore some new dishes.”

It’s also a time when they are likely to dip deeper into their pockets to purchase innovativeand festive seasonal products to bring some additional holiday cheer to their smallergatherings. This is an opportunity for food and beverage marketers to get creative.

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