Just Born Quality Confections has launched "We Got'chew," a national brand platform that personifies its Mike and Ike candy line as on-screen character personalities for the first time in the brand's history. The Bethlehem, Pa.-based confectioner framed the move as a long-term strategic evolution, signalling an intent to sustain the campaign architecture well beyond a single season.
Why the Shift Matters
The decision to anthropomorphize the candy-bean line reflects a broader pattern in the confectionery sector, where legacy brands are increasingly investing in entertainment-led marketing to hold attention among younger consumers who consume media across fragmented digital and streaming platforms. By giving the product a recurring cast of characters, Just Born is building intellectual-property infrastructure that can extend into licensing, social content, and retail activation — revenue streams that complement core confectionery sales.
The campaign marks the commercial directorial debut of Kenan Thompson, the Emmy-nominated comedian and long-running cast member of Saturday Night Live. Thompson's involvement adds mainstream entertainment credibility to the launch and gives Just Born a news hook with reach beyond traditional candy-category media. The brand did not disclose media spend or the scope of Thompson's commercial agreement.
Competitive Context
Mike and Ike competes in the non-chocolate candy segment alongside brands such as Skittles, Starburst, and Swedish Fish — a category that has seen sustained volume pressure as better-for-you snacking trends erode impulse purchasing at checkout and in convenience channels. Character-based marketing has proven durable for rival brands: M&M's spokescandies, for instance, have generated decades of consumer recognition and periodic cultural moments that reinforce shelf visibility. Just Born appears to be pursuing a comparable playbook, albeit without the parent-company scale of Mars or Mondelez.
The "We Got'chew" platform is positioned as a long-term commitment rather than a promotional flight, a distinction that matters for retail partners evaluating in-store support and promotional co-investment. Brands that anchor multi-year campaigns to recognizable characters tend to negotiate more favorable placement and end-cap terms with major grocery and mass merchandisers.
For operators and buyers tracking the confectionery and snack category, the launch is a signal that Just Born is prioritizing brand equity investment at a moment when private-label candy alternatives are gaining shelf space. The long-form character narrative also gives the brand content to deploy across retail media networks, a fast-growing channel for food and beverage marketing investment as major grocers monetize their digital advertising inventory. Just Born has not provided guidance on campaign duration, incremental marketing expenditure, or projected sales lift tied to the initiative.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
