Hated by half the UK and adored by the other, Floral Gums (known affectionately as “Soap candy” invokes the strongest opinions in candy lovers world-wide. Named for their flowery scent and flavour, these tiny, former penny candies have a loyal following of people who swear they taste the best. Like ever. We agree!

Sweet Factory Candy Boutique is one of few locations in Calgary caring the controversial sweets. High-five for us! You can drop in and get your fix.

The history behind floral gums is pretty cool too. There’s only one factory on the planet that has the secret recipe to pump these treats out and they burned down. All the way down. For years there were no floral gums. It was like the public was teased with their awesomeness and when the factory finally rebuilt and opened their doors for the second time, the anticipation had the UK mesmerized. This candy was selling fast!

Eventually, floral gum candy bust out of England and made its way through the Commonwealth and eventually right here to Calgary just for you try. Come have a taste of this delicious candy. Soap-schmope!

Reasons to Choose Floral Gum Products

Candies exist to make everyone happy all over the world. These sweet treats can make you happy with one bite. That’s why there are a lot of candy manufacturers that want everyone’s attention with their own candy.

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of candies that you can choose from, especially these days. From lollipop to pop rocks, you definitely won’t run out of candy that you can buy here at Sweet Factory. 

But one of the best products that we have here is a classic one and that is floral gum. This might sound like a dentist prescribed candy but it is not. It packs a lot of great flavours even though they are only small in size. 

If you do not believe us, you may continue reading this article and learn more about why you should choose floral gum candy as your new favourite candy to eat. 

Even though it’s old, it still packs a lot of flavours

This does not mean that the candy itself is old and you cannot eat it. We only mean that this candy is one of the most classic candies that you can try that still gives you a lot of great flavours to taste. 

You can even say that this type of candy stands the test of time because of the fact that it is still popular among children. It also tries to introduce new flavours to the mix to make the customers more satisfied with it. 

It Will definitely make you feel better 

This might sound like a surprise but eating floral gum candy can help you more relax often. This is because of the fact that eating sweets can bring you happiness and relax your mind even for a little while. 

That’s why you need to eat this type of candy to make you feel happier and more energetic to attract more positive thoughts in your life. Just remember that eating floral gum products should be consumed moderately to avoid having any bad effects on your body. 

Affordable and accessible

Buying floral gum products is much easier than buying another candy that is exclusive. There are a lot of stores and online shops that sell this kind of candy to make everyone happier with the help of candy here at the Sweet Factory.

You don’t have to worry about breaking your own piggy bank when buying floral gum candy because you can buy it at an affordable price. Here at Sweet Factory, we have a lot of floral gum candy that you can choose from. 

Besides floral gum candies, we have other selections of candies that you can choose from here at Sweet Factory. You can browse our website to learn more about the products that we offer. 

Cola Balls are deceiving. They look all shiny, sleek and ready to load in your BB gun as ammunition but these metallic looking treats are actually jaw-breakers packing a tasty, cola flavor. Yum!

Kids go crazy for them. Maybe because they sparkle but probably because the flavour lasts long and they look like they’re from the future or serve a higher purpose other than pure taste satisfaction. Which is important too. It’s the little things in life, right?

Cola Balls come in a few different sizes, depending on how serious you are with your jaw-breaker addiction. For amateurs, I’d recommend the pint sized itty-bitty balls but for true candy fiends, go for the grand.

Parents and creatives love Cola Balls. They’re a great candy for cake and cupcake decoration. Or just for the sake of art. I’d rather look at Cola-Ball art than noodle art.

Supposedly the Dutch created this cool treat. You can have a taste of Holland and of cola without ever having to leave Calgary. Come down to the shop in Mount Royal and we’ll give you a sample taste. Warning. You’re going to want to try some and buy some.

Calgary’s Candy Fashion Week

The global fashion industry extols and showcases its trends and upcoming seasons through Fashion Weeks. But here in Calgary, more so on 17th Ave in Lower Mount Royal, people celebrate it differently.

In 2012, the store became the 1st ever fashion-inspired candy boutique in Calgary. Since the street is known as the city’s hippest and most stylish urban area, Sweet Factory has definitely sweetened the fashion culture. Unlike New York, Paris, London, and Milan’s Fashion Weeks, ours veers away from luxury and ‘houses’. Instead, Calgary has fun recycling and sweetening events! On this page, see the debut of our ‘couture’ candy dresses.

Behind the scenes

The team was inspired by the works of Kyle Nylund. He is a Vancouver-based professional artist that specialises in ‘radical whimsy’. We called and asked him about the store’s marketing strategy. Lucky for us, he liked the concept and agreed to meet us.

Kyle came to the store’s location at 17th Ave. We worked on outlines, debating which theme and scheme would work best. For over several days looking for feasible plans, budget, and materials, we settled with rock candy. Just by staring at Kyle’s sketch, it’s bright, festive, and interesting. We already knew there and then that it would make heads turn, which we were right!

The debut of the rock candy dress

We wanted to debut the rock candy dress somewhere filled with many people. Again, it seemed that Lady Luck was with us since there was an upcoming Rihanna concert in Calgary! We took the opportunity of the event. So, off we go, we flaunted to the public the beautiful creation of Kyle.

Calgary’s Candy Fashion Week

A week after the team’s fun tactic, we distributed flyers about the store’s upcoming event, entitled Calgary’s Candy Fashion Week. We invited the talented residents of 17th Ave to showcase their sweet, sweet artistry.

The event was successful! Everyone enjoyed it. The creations were remarkable as they are detailed and finely done. While there were prizes, the competition was very friendly. As we hoped for, our team wanted to have a good time with the local community. 

Tune out for more

As ever, Sweet Factory always has fun-filled events for residents to join. The Calgary’s Fashion Week was just the beginning. So, check our website and social media pages often for more updates. 

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Liked the creations of Calgary residents? The designs looked so real that our cravings soared! Ahh! If only it is possible to take one rock candy from their dresses. But, why only crave when Sweet Factory has quite a large and good selection of products. 

Staying true to its name, we not only sell candies and chocolates. Other sweets varieties available in the store are soft-serve ice cream and popcorn. Find all about them here on this page: Our Candy Menu: Craving Satisfied By Sweet Factory. 

In 1981, Universal Studios, together with a young Steven Spielberg, approached Mars Inc. with a product placement concept for an upcoming family-friendly science fiction film – E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Spielberg was keen to use M&Ms in a key scene of the film featured here:

Unfortunately, Universal Studios refused to show Mars the complete script. As a result, Mars declined the opportunity. Oops!

This didn’t deter Universal for long. The studio knocked on Hershey’s door soon after actually pursuing Hershey Kisses for the scene. Instead, Hershey’s came back and suggested their newest creation as a much better fit – an M&M alike candy they named Reese’s Pieces.

“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” went on to be a cultural touchstone and sales of Reese’s Pieces (now billed as “E.T.’s favorite candy”) skyrocketed 65% almost immediately upon release of the film.The movie has since been re-released twice. First in 1985 and again in 2000. Each time, Reese’s Pieces sales surge. What a hit!

Seen on Screen: Product Placement of Reese’s Pieces in 1982

At the outset, candies are fairly easy to make. With only sugar, honey, and water as main ingredients, everyone can make one at home. That said, only a few candy brands are known in the world. Today, big and leading names are Mars, Ferrero, Meiji, and Hershey’s, to name a few. 

These companies, empires even, make global candy sales worth billions of US dollars. Of the many factors affecting their success is their marketing strategies. On this page, find out the rapid surge of Reese’s Pieces through product placement.

From Mars to Hershey’s

As the old saying goes, ‘when one door closes, another opens.’ While it sounds hopeful, it is a bit firmer and aggressive in the world of business. The result of one company’s failure in taking advantage of an opportunity is a bold treasure picked up by another. This is the 1980s story of Mars Inc., the Hershey Company, and the hit film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. 

In 1981, Universal Studios and Director Steven Spielberg approached Mars. They offered a product placement for its flagship product, the M&Ms. For whatever reason, the company refused for their brand to be featured in the film. 

That said, a variety of sources shared alleged reasons for its rejection; saying that the film was a bit ‘otherworldly’ to be linked with a candy. Others, however, did mention that it might frighten children. Yet whatever it was, the company’s refusal laid the foundation for Hershey’s approval.

Since Universal Studios offered the product placement, Hershey did not pay the film production. But, it did accept a tie-in sales agreement, where the candy company promoted the film with US$1 million of advertising. In exchange, it had the right to reference the film in its own ads.

With the global success of the film comes also the upsurge of sales for Hershey’s. By just 2 weeks after the premiere, its profits soared up to 65% due to Reese’s Pieces. All owing to Elliott’s smart tactic to lure the shy little alien, the product is still manufactured with several variations and distributed worldwide. 

Other films with successful product placement

With the right timing and firm grasp, the story of Mars and Hershey’s shows the potential power of product placement. Here are other films that had successful yet also excessive product placement.

1. Back to the Future: Mountain Dew, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Nike, and 7-Eleven
2. Toy story: Mr. Potato Head and Etch-A-Sketch
3. The Great Gatsby: Prada and Miu Miu
4. Sex and the City: classic Western designers (Gucci, Chanel, and Dior)
5. I, Robot: Audi and Converse

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For decades of fulfilling the cravings of Calgary residents, Sweet Factory is a fashion aficionado at heart. Our team is pretty active in the community. But when it is fashion time, the store leads the programme! Last month, we hosted a candy/fashion show in Calgary. See the amazing creations of the locals here on this page: Calgary’s Candy Fashion Week.