After a century of smiles, Dum-Dums is celebrating a big birthday. The candy brand turns 100 this year and has been taking part in a special campaign on social media.
This past Saturday, July 20, the brand invited its fans and the community to gather in front of the Spangler main entrance at its Bryan, OH plant, for a commemorative photo. The celebration also included free birthday cupcakes, ice cream, and specially labeled bottled water, a tasting of 30 different Dum-Dums flavors, the Dum-Dums drum man and Bit-O-Honey bee, food trucks, bounce houses, games, and more, according to the company's Facebook post.
“Dum-Dums have been a part of so many happy memories over the last 100 years,” says Kirk Vashaw, CEO of Spangler Candy Company, the maker of Dum-Dums. “As we recognize this incredible milestone, we wanted to create a celebration where people can share what they love most about Dum-Dums—the flavors.”
Dum-Dums and their creative agency Young & Laramore, teamed up to develop a campaign centered around people’s favorite flavors—and the many opinions that come with them. Debuting this summer on TikTok is a custom filter called “Flaunt Your Flavorite” which will transform users’ heads into their favorite Dum-Dums. The filter gives the centenarian brand the opportunity to engage a new generation while maintaining the brand’s sense of joy that’s stood the test of time. Dum-Dums also has special birthday plans for its mascot, the Drum Man, who will perform drum solos on TikTok.
“When Dum-Dums was introduced in 1924, broadcast radio was just becoming popular and now we have the ability to transform ourselves into a Dum-Dum and instantly share that experience with the world,” says Evan Brock, VP of marketing at Spangler. “Very few brands stay relevant for 100 years. Dum-Dums, with its many flavors, is one of the most recognizable candy brands by people of all ages.”
Over those 100 years, Dum-Dums’ commitment to flavor has remained steadfast - overseeing the introduction of iconic flavors like Root Beer and Cream Soda in 1967 and Blu Raspberry in 1995, plus limited-edition flavors like Buttered Popcorn in 2001. There were even a few curve balls like Pizza and Bacon in 2015. In total, there have been over 100 flavors of Dum-Dums in the brand’s history.
In addition to flavors, the brand witnessed hallmark moments like the introduction of the Drum Man mascot in 1966 and the “Talking Heads” TV campaign of the early 1990s. There was even a monkey named Dr. Irving, and as a goodwill ambassador for the brand he shared Dum-Dums with hospital and nursing home residents across the country.
The Dum-Dums “Flavorites” campaign started rolling out in May 2024. Visit TikTok (@realdumdums) or dumdumpops.com to get in on the Flavorite debate.
Spangler Candy Co. is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.
