Twix
Twix is a caramel shortbread chocolate bar made by Mars, Inc., consisting of a biscuit applied with other confectionery toppings and coatings (most frequently caramel and milk chocolate).[1] Twix are packaged with one (mini and snack sizes), two or four bars (king size) in a wrapper.
| Product type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Owner | Mars, Incorporated |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1967 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Website | twix |
History edit
The product was first produced in the United Kingdom in 1967,[2] and it was introduced in the United States in 1979.[2] The name is a portmanteau of "twin sticks".[3] Twix was called Raider in mainland Europe for many years before its name was changed in 1991 (2000 in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Turkey) to match the international brand name.[4] A Raider retro edition was temporarily sold in Germany in 2009, in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2015, and Switzerland in late 2023.[5]
Production edit
Twix bars for the North American market are made in Cleveland, Tennessee, along with M&M's.[6][7] For global markets like Europe and Africa are produced in Veghel, the Netherlands alongside Mars bars and other Mars, Incorporated chocolates.
Advertising edit
In 2012, Twix launched the "Pick a Side" campaign. The advertising campaign introduced a rivalry between the two "sides" of the Twix bar. Each Twix bar was given its own distinct packaging, being labelled as either a "Right Twix" or a "Left Twix", although both sides are identical.[8][9]
Ten years later, in 2022, a new campaign that replaced the previous one finally put this rivalry to rest by explicitly clarifying that both bars are identical. The new tagline reflecting this states, "Left or Right, a good decision either way."[citation needed]
Twix products edit
Bars edit
The following flavours are available in the United States of America.[10]
- Twix Original
- Twix Salted Caramel
- Twix Cookies & Creme
- Twix Ice Cream Bar
- Twix 100 Calories
- Twix Cookie Dough
Other products edit
- Twix Ice Cream
- Twix Caramel Cookies
- Twix Spekulatius seasonal limited edition (Germany)
Shrinkflation edit
Like many confectionery items, Twix has been accused of shrinkflation, where, instead of increasing the cost of a bar, Mars, Inc. has decreased the size. A bar in the 1970s was 60g but in the 2020s they are 50g.[11]
In popular culture edit
In an episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Dealership", a major plotline in the episode focuses on George Costanza's failed attempts to extract a Twix bar from a vending machine. Also, a recurring joke in the episode is that people confuse a Twix bar with a 5th Avenue Bar. However, George insists that "Twix is the only candy bar with the cookie crunch."[12][13]
References edit
- ^ The biscuit is typically topped with caramel and then coated with milk chocolate. There is also an additional thin layer of chocolate between the biscuit and the caramel. "Cross-section of a Twix" 2 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine, ediblegeography.com
- ^ a b , marsfoodservices.com
- ^ @twix (17 September 2018). "Close! It's short for "twin sticks" ☺️" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Twix — Snack History". foodnewsorg.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Toen Twix nog Raider heette". historiek.net (in Dutch). 9 September 2018. from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ Warnke, Kyle (12 August 2016). "M&M's and Twix are Made in Tennessee". WVLT-TV. Knoxville, Tennessee. from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ "Mars expands: Candymaker marks $67 million growth project". Times Free Press (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA). 5 April 2013. from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
- ^ Joseph, Seb (25 June 2012). "Mars unveils global Twix campaign". Marketing Week. from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Abbey. "Mars Releases 'Left' and 'Right' Twix Packs". CSP Daily News. from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Explore Left Twix". twix.com. from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "10 chocolate bars which have changed their size". Planet Radio. 3 January 2023. from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ The Twix Bar - Seinfeld Short Episode, from the original on 31 March 2023, retrieved 31 March 2023
- ^ "The Dealership". SeinfeldScripts. from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
External links edit
- Official website
- Twix on Twitter