Since the parent company of Morinaga America, Inc., Morinaga & Co., first launched HI-CHEW™ in 1975, the candy has been created in over 200 flavors. Driven by flavor innovation and experimentation, the team continues to bring fruit flavors to life through each chew. As the American palate expands and global cuisine becomes more widely appreciated, there’s opportunity to introduce even more distinct flavors to the U.S. market. The Fantasy Flavor Games gives HI-CHEW™ fanatics the chance to participate in the growth of the ever-evolving flavor offerings. With nearly 1 billion pieces of HI-CHEW™ enjoyed each year, consumers can’t get enough of the fruity-chewy candy brand.
“In 2018, we hosted the East Meets West Flavor Games, where consumers selected Dragon Fruit as the new offering they’d love to see released in the U.S. We were able to launch this flavor in our Superfruit Mix and it quickly became a fan favorite,” said Tatsuya Takamiya, Chief Marketing Officer of Morinaga America, Inc. “We’re excited to engage consumers once again in HI-CHEW’s unique flavor journey to see which offering peaks their interest and will excite their taste buds.”
The Fantasy Flavor Games
Through the competition, consumers will decide between 20 exotic flavors to determine which will be ranked number 1. The playoffs will consist of 5 rounds of voting. Each week, flavors will be paired up against one another, with the winning flavor moving on to the next round. Starting on September 1, the games will kick-off with the following bracket format:
- Qualifying Round: Voting opens for the 20 flavors to see which flavors will move on to face off in the upcoming rounds. Final entries must be submitted by Friday, September 4
- Round 1: The Sweet & Juicy Sixteen are announced on Tuesday, September 8 and voting closes on Friday, September 11
- Round 2: On September 14, the Edible Eight contenders are announced with voting open until Friday, September 18
- Round 3: The Flavorful Four will be announced on Monday, September 21 with final voting closing on Thursday, September 24
- Round 4: On September 24, the Dynamic Duo will be announced, and consumers will have until Tuesday, September 29 to cast their final votes
- Wednesday, September 30: The 2020 HI-CHEW™ Fantasy Flavor Games winner will be announced
To learn more about the 2020 HI-CHEW™ Fantasy Flavor Games and to enter your vote, please go to hi-chew.com/flavor-games. Every vote counts! You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram (@HICHEWUSA) and Twitter (@HICHEW).
About Morinaga America, Inc.:
Established in 2008, Morinaga America, Inc. is the official distributor of HI-CHEW™ in the United States. With over 185 flavors of HI-CHEW™ having debuted in Japan, Morinaga America, Inc. has introduced the United States market to the best of Japanese confectionery. Morinaga America, Inc. (marketing and sales) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (manufacturing) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first, modern candy maker and producer of chocolates in Japan. In 2015, Morinaga America, Inc. opened its first United States manufacturing facility in North Carolina.
About HI-CHEWTM:
The history of Morinaga stretches back over a century when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought his candy making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s. HI-CHEW™ has long been the best-selling soft candy in Japan and continues to see year-over-year growth throughout other parts of Asia and in the United States. In the United States, HI-CHEW™ is currently offered in the following flavors: Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Banana, Kiwi, Açaí, and Sweet & Sour Watermelon. HI-CHEW™ also offers a Tropical Mix with Kiwi, Mango, and Pineapple, a Superfruit Mix with Açaí, Kiwi and Dragon Fruit, a a Sweet & Sour Mix with Grapefruit, Lemon and Watermelon, a Fruit Combos Mix with Tropical Smoothie and Piña Colada and Soda Pop Mix with Cola and Ramune. HI-CHEW™ is made with concentrated fruit juices and is 100% free of gluten, cholesterol and synthetic colors. HI-CHEW™ continues to expand fruity, chewy flavor offerings annually.