Nerds (candy)

Nerds is an American candy launched in 1983 by the Sunmark Corporation under the brand name Willy Wonka Candy Company. Nerds are now made by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero Group, but the brand is still distributed internationally by Nestlé under a licensing agreement with Ferrero. With their anthropomorphic covers, Nerds usually contain two flavors per box, each flavor having a separate compartment and opening.

Nerds were first introduced in 1983 and rolled out nationally in 1985. It was developed by a team led by marketing manager Angelo Fraggos at Sunmark's Willy Wonka Candy division and targeted at tweens with allowance money. The dual-chamber design of its box was driven by research that showed boys preferred pouring the candy into their mouths, while girls tended to put it in their hands.

After initial success in the 1980s, Nerds settled into a middling market status for decades until the introduction of Nerds Gummy Clusters in 2020. In 2021, Nerds Gummy Clusters received free advertising from Kylie Jenner to her 200 million Instagram followers, after which the candy went viral on social media. A 2024 Super Bowl commercial for Nerds Gummy Clusters featured TikToker Addison Rae, and was followed by a 2025 Super Bowl commercial with Shaboozey. Annual brand revenue increased from about $40 million in 2018 to more than $500 million in 2024, with Nerds Gummy Clusters accounting for more than 90% of the total.