Leftovers: Starburst explodes into sparkling water | Ritz scores spicy, sweet flavors for March Madness

Starburst explodes into sparkling water

Starburst, the chewy fruit candy, is taking a sip from an entirely new category: sparkling water.

Talking Rain Beverage launched Sparkling Ice Starburst waters in the popular candy’s four original flavors – cherry, lemon, orange and strawberry. The beverage, however, is lacking one thing commonly associated with the Mars-owned candy brand: sugar.

“Our Sparkling Ice product development team knew Sparkling Ice STARBURST would bring a huge level of excitement to consumers with this flavorful collaboration,” Tatyana Osipovs, Talking Rain’s director of new product development, said in a statement. “Now our fans can enjoy the full-flavored fun of these candy flavors in our delicious drink with zero sugar!”

The Starburst sparkling water is the first major brand initiative since Sparkling Ice launched its “Anything But Subtle” campaign at the beginning of 2024. The new beverage immediately taps into a chewy candy that is instantly recognizable to consumers. 

If Talking Rain can mirror the taste of the four flavors, the beverage company could find its offering quickly resonating with consumers. Shoppers who love the candy will be more likely to try the product and share the experience with their friends on TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms. Talking Rain noted that influencers began buzzing about the collaboration weeks before news of the launch was available publicly.

People eager to try Sparkling Ice Starburst could soon find themselves gravitating toward one of the brand’s other classic flavored waters or its beverages with caffeine or an energy boost.

Rich DePencier, chief growth officer at Talking Rain, said the Sparkling Ice Starburst is “designed to surprise and delight our loyal fans and attract a whole new legion of flavor-loving consumers to our zero-sugar beverages.”

—Christopher Doering

Ritz slam dunks into two new sweet and spicy flavors 

In the spirit of its second year as a national sponsor for the NCAA March Madness Men’s and Women’s basketball tournament, The Mondelēz brand is heating up its RITZ Toasted Chips lineup with two new flavors – Sweet Habanero and Honey BBQ. 

The chips will feature the same classic buttery flavor fans love, but with an oven baked crisp. 

In addition to the new flavors, the company has also created an ‘Are You Snack Bracket Ready’ National Sweepstakes where fans can vote on recipes, they’d like to see compete during March Madness for a chance to win a trip for four to the 2025 NCAA Men’s or Women’s Final Four.

The Toasted Chips also have two-time All-Star, Isaiah Thomas as an ambassador. 

“We are putting all our chips on the NCAA® March Madness® tournament this year, and we’re thrilled to be back for our second year to share two, delicious new Toasted Chips flavors” said Jennifer Sobolewski, RITZ Toasted Chips senior brand manager in a statement. 

There may be more companies popping up adding experience to their food products as innovation becomes more prevalent. Consumers will continue to curtail their spending in 2024 and seek items loaded with unique attributes. With an endless array of choices in the marketplace, items like these from Mondelēz may prove to be a slam dunk. 

— Elizabeth Flood

Frank’s Red Hot squeezes more sauces into portfolio

A staple brand is giving hot sauce lovers unique flavors and a new bottle format to enjoy its products with.

Frank’s RedHot is launching Dip’n Sauce, a lineup of three hot sauce flavors — Buffalo Ranch, Roasted Garlic and Golden — that are “milder” than its signature offering in squeezable bottles, the brand said in the press release. The Golden flavor starts sweet and tangy but leaves a spicy aftertaste, according to the company.

The buffalo sauce maker’s new launches also include another line, Squeeze Sauce, which features a pointed nozzle to help add a controlled bit of spice to a meal. These flavors include Sriracha, Hot Honey and Creamy Buffalo.

In the press release, Frank’s said the new products allow consumers more convenience to add the products to whatever they are eating.

“Not only are consumers experimenting with different hot sauce flavors, they’re adding it on a wider variety of foods from pizza to noodles. More Frank’s flavors means more versatility, and more ways for consumers to create their own unique signature combinations throughout the year,” said Valda Coryat, the brand’s vice president of marketing, in a statement.

The new Frank’s products are currently available at select stores and will soon be rolled out nationally, according to the company.

McCormick and Company-owned Frank’s RedHot was founded over a century ago, and has become one of the spice and sauce giant’s biggest brands with $6.5 billion in annual sales across the world.