Necco Conversation Hearts 2006
NECCO INTRODUCES NEW VALENTINE’S DAY 2006
SWEETHEARTS® CONVERSATION HEART SAYINGS
First-ever Addition of a Preposition and Conjunction Offers New Way to “Spell Out” Love
REVERE, Mass. – (January 11, 2006) – For more than 100 years, romantics have expressed their Valentine’s sentiments with Sweethearts® Conversation Hearts. Today, The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO®) is giving sweethearts a new way to “spell out” their love with the addition of a preposition and conjunction to its timeless mix of traditional and modern Sweethearts sayings. The company is also adding several new sayings to its colorful hearts that celebrate the warmth, comfort, and tradition of home and family. The 10 new 2006 sayings include: To, And, ILU, House Party, Home Run, Call Home, Sweet Home, Go Home, Home Soon, and Home Sick.
Over the years, NECCO has introduced Sweethearts sentiments that are inline with current culture, but never before has its mix included grammatical “connectors.” With the addition of To and And, Sweethearts can now “spell out” and communicate thoughts such as: ILU And Miss You; Kiss Me To Be Mine; or Love You And Home Soon.
Home truly is where the heart is and this year NECCO will include sayings that reflect the warmth and comfort of home and family and the importance of getting together. These home-themed sayings are intended to bring people you love closer and to encourage families to spend time with each other.
“This is really an exciting year for us,” said Lory Zimbalatti, NECCO’s marketing manager and member of the team that chose the new 2006 Sweethearts candy sayings. “We are always looking for new sayings that inspire and encourage sweethearts to communicate their sentiments in new ways. With the home-inspired theme and the trial addition of a conjunction and preposition, the possibilities to connect and express sweet sentiments are endless.”
Additionally, NECCO will offer activities inspired by its signature Sweethearts and other candieson its newly redesigned Web site, www.necco.com. There parents, teachers, and children can find games, recipes, trivia, and historical information. The new Web site also features a virtual tour showing how Sweethearts are made.
Sweethearts Conversation Hearts are fat-free and sodium-free and are one Valentine’s treat that candy lovers young and old can enjoy without guilt. Small hearts have three calories and the large hearts have six calories, making it possible to entice one’s sweetheart with a fun and romantic treat that’s low in calories and has no fat. They are a perfect way for someone to delight their favorite home-body with a sweet indulgence.
While the Sweethearts candy sayings have a new twist each year, NECCO’s basic recipe and the way they are made remains the same. The hearts are produced in two sizes – small and large. Approximately two words with four letters each can be stamped on the small hearts and two words with five letters each can be used on the large hearts.
The concept of Conversation Motto Hearts dates back to the late 1800’s when printed sayings on colored paper were placed in “Cockles,” small crisp candies formed in the shape of a scalloped shell. In 1866, Daniel Chase, brother of Oliver Chase, who founded NECCO in 1847, invented the process, which allows the sayings to be printed directly on the candy. Some of the original sayings that are still included in the more than 100 sayings produced are Be Mine, Be Good, Be True, Kiss Me and Sweet Talk.
NECCO is the oldest continuously run, multi-line candy company that produces classic candy like Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, NECCO® wafers, Mary Jane® and Clark® bars. With more than 100 years of history, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts are the original and top-selling Valentine’s Day treat. Each year, NECCO produces eight billion Sweethearts Conversation Hearts during the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.
NECCO operates three plants that are located in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Louisiana. These plants produce all the Sweethearts Conversation Hearts made year round to meet the huge demand for the traditional and top selling iconic Valentine’s Day candy.
About New England Confectionery Company (NECCO®)
The New England Confectionery Company (NECCO®) was founded in 1847 and is the oldest multi-line candy company in the United States. Popular brands include: NECCO® wafers, Clark® bar, Sweethearts® Conversation Hearts, Mary Jane®, Haviland® Thin Mints and Might Malts® Malted Milk Balls. Manufacturing facilities are located in Revere, Mass., Pewaukee, Wis. and Thibodaux, La. The company employs approximately 1,200. More than 500 seasonal and year-round products are produced at the facilities.