This week's Fun Friday starts with a collaboration between Goetze’s Candy Company and Guinness Open Gate Brewery. The two Baltimore-based brands are reuniting to bring back a consumer-favorite collaboration, the Caramel Creams Ale, in celebration of National Candy Month. 

Following its popular debut last summer, the Caramel Creams Ale is making its return to the taproom this June at Guinness Open Gate Brewery Baltimore. Originally created as a limited-edition brew in 2024, the 4.5% ABV cream ale blends its smooth richness with the flavor of Goetze’s signature vanilla cream. Crafted in the 10-barrel innovation brewery onsite, the classic cream ale base was brewed with vanilla, inspired by the flavor of Goetze’s Caramel Creams. The result is a toasty, slightly sweet ale.

Caramel Creams Ale will be available exclusively at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery Baltimore in Halethorpe, MD, on draught and for purchase in 4-packs to-go, for a limited time only while supplies last.

Hershey's Chocolate World unveils Twizzlers-themed fun

This summer, Twizzlers are taking center stage at Hershey's Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. Guests can enjoy a variety of Twizzlers-themed treats, including the Twizzlers Pull 'N' Peel Millkshake, Twizzlers bubble waffles, and for adults, the Twizzlers Orange Cream Pop cocktail.

And the Twizzlers fun doesn't stop there—right next door, HersheyPark amusement park has just unveiled its newest thrill ride: Twizzlers Twisted Gravity, featuring the tallest Screamin' Swing in the world, which opened May 24. The one-minute-and-10-second experience begins as riders in Hershey's height category (48 inches and above) take their seats in one of four branded zones across two gondolas, each themed after Twizzlers flavors: Strawberry, Cherry, Hershey's Chocolate, and Black Licorice. Riders soar 137 feet into the air at 68 mph, experiencing zero-gravity moments and never-before-seen views of HersheyPark.

A full overview of Hershey's Chocolate World's summer offerings are as follows, and are available through September 1:

Sweet treats and sips:

• Ice Breakers Wild Berry Sparkler 
• Ice Breakers Pina Colada Sparkler
• Twizzlers Pull 'N' Peel Millkshake
• Hershey's Chocolate Chip Cookie Millkshake
• Twizzlers Bubble Waffle with Strawberry Gelato
• S'mores Bubble Waffle Marshmallow Gelato
• Hershey's Chocolate Bubble Waffle
• Twizzlers Mousse Tart
• Twizzlers Orange Cream Pop Parfait
• Twizzlers Strawberry Mousse Mini-Cake
• Hershey's Caramel S'mores

Candy-inspired cocktails (must be 21+ to enjoy):

• Hershey's Caramel Macchiato Espresso Martini
• Twizzlers Orange Cream Pop Cocktail
• Jolly Rancher Piña Colada

Savory bites:

• Chicken Tenders & Fries
• Parmesan Meatball Sub with Dot's Parmesan Garlic Pretzels
• Turkey and Brie with Jolly Rancher Cherry Compote Sandwich

Sweet start to the morning:

• Reese's Breakfast Bowl
• Almond Joy Breakfast Bowl

Summer road trippers crave Cheez-It, Pringles

Americans rank Cheez-It and Pringles in their top favorite snack brands for summer road trips, according to a new survey from Kellanova on the snacking preferences of 2,000 U.S. adults who had recently gone on or plan to go on a road trip.

Some quick facts:

1. Cheez-It and Pringles ranked as top road trip snacks among respondents of all ages.
2. Each generation brings a unique flare to road trip snacking. For example, Gen Z is going bold: sour and bitter flavors are their favorites, with spicy also taking a top spot. Preferring to travel with a group, shareability is essential. Millennials are more likely to gravitate towards tangy flavors, but their top choices are salty, sweet and cheesy flavors. With the majority traveling with kids, their top priority is bringing snacks for the whole family to enjoy. Boomers choose salty, sweet and chocolatey flavors and chips, nuts and seeds, and salty snack mixes. Most travel solo or with a friend or partner, and they are more likely than other generation to buy snacks at stops along the way.
3. Hometowns hint at road trip snacking habits. The “most spontaneous” superlative goes to Southerners, who tend to pick up their snacks along the way. While one in three Midwesterners say cheesy flavors are in their “Top 3,” Northeasterners are twice as likely to crave creamy snacks

See the full survey results here.

Planters celebrates 90 years of its Nutmobile with new class of Peanutters

Hormel's Planters brand team is celebrating 90 years of Nutmobile novelty with a freshly shelled trio of nutty navigators—and a bold new build.

This summer marks the 90th anniversary of the Nutmobile program, and the Planters brand is celebrating in style, unveiling the latest evolution of its iconic ride—complete with quirky updates like a peanut door handle, a neon-lit selfie station, and a 360-degree exterior cam. The new vessel has an all-new crew, to boot, as three newly minted Peanutters are set to captain the modernized Nutmobile on a year-long, nationwide tour, bringing smiles and snacks to fans across the country. Take a peek inside the new Nutmobile and watch the Peanutters give a tour on YouTube.

Meet the latest crop of Peanutters:

• Aria Conte (Almond Aria): A 2024 graduate of Butler University with a degree in creative media and entertainment, Conte hails from Chicago. She has many passions, including sports, dancing, and writing song parodies—and she goes nuts for Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts.
• Hudson Ritchie (Nutty Huddy): A University of Illinois alum with a degree in advertising, Ritchie loves spending time with family, and his go-to snack is Planters Hot Chipotle Peanuts.
• Adleigh Mayes (Mayes-elnut): A native of Dothan, AL, Mayes earned a degree in public relations from Freed-Hardeman University. She played volleyball on a scholarship and was active in student government. She loves Planters Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Cashews.

As the new Nutmobile hits the road this summer, fans can look forward to interactive events, photo opportunities and plenty of nutty surprises along the way. For more information about the Nutmobile tour and upcoming events, visit plantersnutmobile.com.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch's new ads showcase "mascot murder"

AdAge.com recently reported on Cinnamon Toast Crunch's new ads, saying: "Murderous and cannibalistic cereal characters might not seem like an easy thing to sell a brand that built its reputation on marketing to families. But when The Martin Agency pitched General Mills on the idea of having its Cinnamon Toast Crunch ads take a dark turn, the packaged food giant easily bit."

The campaign is called "Must Cinnadust," and it shows cereal squares as "serial killers" (cereal/serial—get it?), "lusting after and then devouring their fellow kind, all the while dealing with internal conflict about their murderous acts," AdAge says.

Brandon Tyrrell, senior marketing communications manager, General Mills, said via email to AdAge that Cinnamon Toast Crunch is “a cereal with a long history of being playful, a little wild, and completely beloved.”

“We’re not reinventing it,” Tyrrell added. “We’re evolving it for a generation that grew up with the brand and is now looking for something with a little more bite. That means introducing more narrative depth, genre-savvy storytelling, and craft that reflects their more sophisticated tastes.”

The campaign will run on TV and digital and includes 30-second and 15-second spots, as well as 6-second videos suitable for social media (those darkly funny ads can be seen here, here, and here). The ads were made using stop-motion, by Passion Pictures, and the crew included Andy Spradbery, who also worked on Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Shaun the Sheep Movie.

The campaign was shot over nine days using three sets, according to The Martin Agency. The characters were first created in 2D, then digitally sculpted in 3D and 3D printed and hand-painted. The kitchen set was “built at a claustrophobic 1:11 scale to evoke a film noir atmosphere,” according to The Martin Agency, and “required precise stop-motion animation in tight quarters where only one animator’s hands could fit inside at a time.”