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Twix

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Twix
Product typeConfectionery
OwnerMars Inc.
CountryUnited Kingdom
Introduced1967; 58 years ago (1967)
MarketsWorldwide
Websitetwix.com

Twix is a chocolate bar made by Mars Inc., consisting of a biscuit applied with other confectionery toppings and coatings (most frequently caramel and milk chocolate).[1] Twix are packaged with one (mini and snack sizes), two (standard size), or four bars (king size) in a wrapper.

History

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Raider wrapper from 1989, found as litter

Twix was first produced in the United Kingdom in 1967,[2] and it was introduced in the United States in 1976, and again in 1979.[2] The name is a portmanteau of "twin sticks".[3] Twix was called Raider in mainland Europe for many years before its name was changed in 1991, 2000 in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Turkey, to match the international brand name.[4] The Raider brand was resurrected for retro editions sold in Germany in 2009, in the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and Sweden in 2015, and Switzerland in late 2023.[5]

Production

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Twix bars for the North American market are made in Cleveland, Tennessee, along with M&M's.[6][7] For global markets like Europe and Africa they are produced in Veghel, the Netherlands alongside Mars bars and other Mars, Incorporated chocolates.

Advertising

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From 1990 to 2001, actor and martial arts master Chuck Norris appeared in commercials for Twix as the candy's spokesman. He appeared in selected events and was featured in the Twix advertising campaign.

In 2012, Twix launched a campaign called "Pick a Side," creating a rivalry between the two "sides" of the Twix bar, which are made in different factories. Each bar was given its own packaging, labeled as either a "Right Twix" or a "Left Twix," even though both sides are identical and made on the same packaging line.[8][9][10] In 2017, Mars released packages of Twix labelled "Two Left" and "Two Right," implying each package contained either two left Twix or two right Twix.[11] In a poll on Twix's official website, 50% of people voted they preferred the left Twix and 50% preferred the right Twix.[12] In a 2021 poll by the Burlington Record, 64% of people preferred the left Twix over the right.[13]

Twix also released a fictional story about the creation of Twix called "the tale of Seamus and Earl."[14] Two brothers, Seamus and Earl, worked together "to combine biscuit, caramel and chocolate into one beautiful bar,"[15] but while making the candy bar, the two feuded and disputed techniques, such as how to add the chocolate or caramel. At the grand unveiling of the Twix, the two brothers accidentally broke the Twix bar; that being the final straw, the two brothers split the company into two factories: one for left Twix and one for right Twix.

Twix products

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Bars

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Unwrapped peanut butter Twix

The following flavours are available in the United States.[16]

  • The Twix candy bar was introduced in 1976 and reintroduced in 1979. It consists of chocolate, caramel, and a cookie crunch.
  • Twix Peanut Butter was introduced in 1983. It is a candy bar consisting of a chocolate cookie filled with peanut butter instead of caramel.
  • Twix Salted Caramel is a variation of the original Twix bar. It has a chocolate cookie, but instead of the usual caramel center, it has a salted caramel center.
  • Twix Cookies & Creme was introduced in 1991. It is a candy bar consisting of a chocolate bar with cookie bits and a white creme taking the place of caramel.
  • Twix Ice Cream Bar is a frozen confection created by Mars Incorporated. It consists of vanilla ice cream coated in caramel, then enrobed in milk chocolate.
  • Twix 100 Calories is a candy bar that consists of a caramel-covered cookie with a chocolate coating. It has 100 calories per serving.
  • Twix Cookie Dough is a variation on the classic Twix candy bar. It has a cookie dough center instead of the traditional caramel, and is covered in milk chocolate.

Discontinued products

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  • Twix Chocolate Fudge is a candy bar introduced by Mars, Inc. in 1990. It is a variation of the original Twix bar, but with a chocolate fudge center instead of caramel. The candy bar also has a chocolate cookie bottom and is coated in milk chocolate.

Shrinkflation

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Like many confectionery items, Twix has been accused of "shrinkflation," where Mars, Incorporated has decreased the size of the bar. This accusation is based on the fact that the size of a Twix bar has decreased over time, while the price has remained the same.[17]

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In an episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Dealership", a major plotline in the episode focuses on George Costanza's failed attempts to extract a Twix bar from a vending machine. Also, a recurring joke in the episode is that people confuse a Twix bar with a 5th Avenue Bar. However, George insists that "Twix is the only candy bar with the cookie crunch."[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ The biscuit is typically topped with caramel and then coated with milk chocolate. There is also an additional thin layer of chocolate between the biscuit and the caramel. "Cross-section of a Twix" Archived 2 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine, ediblegeography.com
  2. ^ a b "TWIX", marsfoodservices.com
  3. ^ @twix (17 September 2018). "Close! It's short for "twin sticks" ☺️" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Twix — Snack History". foodnewsorg.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Toen Twix nog Raider heette". historiek.net (in Dutch). 9 September 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  6. ^ Warnke, Kyle (12 August 2016). "M&M's and Twix are Made in Tennessee". WVLT-TV. Knoxville, Tennessee. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Mars expands: Candymaker marks $67 million growth project". Times Free Press (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA). 5 April 2013. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  8. ^ Joseph, Seb (25 June 2012). "Mars unveils global Twix campaign". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  9. ^ Lewis, Abbey. "Mars Releases 'Left' and 'Right' Twix Packs". CSP Daily News. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Is There Actually A Difference Between Left Twix and Right Twix?". NBC Chicago. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  11. ^ Lewis, Abbey. "Mars Releases 'Left' and 'Right' Twix Packs". CSP Daily News. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  12. ^ "LEFT TWIX® OR RIGHT TWIX®?". Twix.
  13. ^ "POLL QUESTION: Which is better, the left Twix or the right Twix?". The Burlington Record. 19 August 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  14. ^ "What Is the Difference Between Right Twix and Left Twix? Ask Paul | Cook's Illustrated". www.americastestkitchen.com. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  15. ^ "The Tale of Seamus and Earl". Twix. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Explore Left Twix". twix.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  17. ^ "10 chocolate bars which have changed their size". Planet Radio. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  18. ^ The Twix Bar - Seinfeld Short Episode, archived from the original on 31 March 2023, retrieved 31 March 2023
  19. ^ "The Dealership". SeinfeldScripts. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
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