Chewits (History, Marketing & Commercials)

Some candies come out, are successful, and then disappear for a time. Eventually, they find their way back to the market and people fall in love with them all over again. When you look back at the original history of Chewits, you find a dated past and even a different name to begin with. 

Chewits is full of history and has some interesting stories that span clear back to 1963, when they were produced as Chewzits. Take a look at this complete guide to learn more about this British candy delight. 

History

The first time Chewits were ever found on the market under this particular name was in 1965. Prior to that time, this fun candy was named Chewzits. The original introduction of Chewzits happened in 1963, so the name only lasted a couple of years before the transition occurred. 

Chewzits were produced by J Arthur Holland in Southport UK. Just a short two years later all of Hollands goods were acquired by James Goldsmith. This happened in 1965 and the entirety of those products, including Chewzits, came under the ownership of Cavenham Foods. Several other companies were purchased and combined into this company around the same time. 

It was at that same time that they chose to change the name to Chewits instead. They were produced at this same factory up until 2006. At that time, the factory there was closed and production was moved to Slovakia. 

Through the years, Chewits became very popular and they regularly were adding flavors. They kept the original flavors but would add interesting things like Cola or Ice Cream. We will talk more about the flavors shortly but know they actively tested and tweaked flavors to keep the candy interesting. 

Now, Chewits is owned by Cloetta and manufactured through them. They still have several really great flavor options and continue to consider new ones. This candy is shaped like a little cube and is chewy and flavorful. It’s simple but fun and is comparable to something like Starbursts from the US. 

The line expanded by more than just flavors as well. They have sour and extreme sour varieties. They also have juicy bites that have liquid flavors in the center of each bite. These are also very popular because they’re sweet and tasty.  

When you check out their current website, their motto is “unleash the taste adventure”. They are very proud of the story that brings you these bold, flavorful candies. In 2015, they hit 50 years as Chewits. They’re coming very close to 60 years now. They date establishment back to the time that the brand became Chewits and do not count the time as Chewzits in this timeframe. 

Chewits have always been identified by Chewie the Chewitsaurus. Chewie first made his appearance on TV in 1976 and almost resembled Godzilla at the time, but had a more friendly appearance. He was definitely a giant saurus and was depicted as being hungry – which was satisfied with Chewits. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkPks4gqr9M

The company used several different campaigns through the years and Chewie’s looks have changed a few times too. Now, he is a friendly, smaller dinosaur that loves chewy things. Their marketing antics have always been really successful That first Godzilla advertisement actually got extended because it was so popular. 

In 1988, there was a computer game released known as The Muncher also known as ‘The Muncher Eats Chewits’ and was popular on the 128k Spectrum computer. They did try some other advertising methods for a while, like hand puppets. However, nothing was ever as successful as Chewie so they quickly went back to using him for their advertising and he was adapted into the saurus people know today. 

You can find Chewits active and engaged on social media as well. They keep it fun and lighthearted. Really the candy speaks for itself. 

One of the most recent slogans has been “he likes to chew it chew it” which is performed to the tune of “he likes to move it move it”. They have had several different slogans through the years, including one that referred to a football team, a bus station, and 15-storey flats. 

Their current marketing says things like “born to be chewie”, “unleash the taste adventure”, and “for xtreme chewers only”. 

When Were Chewits Invented?

While the Chewits brand only dates back to 1965 and that’s the historical number you see tied to them, this candy was actually first created in 1963. At that time, it was under the name of Chewzits, but it was the same candy. 

It has been built on quite extensively through the years. The name change occurred when the original owners sold all of their holdings in 1965. Prior to that, they were known as Chewzits so the name change was minor but that’s the date they count for Chewits to have been born. 

Who Owns Chewits? 

Ownership for Chewits now falls under Cloetta. It’s unclear exactly when they acquired the brand. We know that Hollands originally produced the candy in 1965. Hollands then sold everything to James Goldsmith in 1965. 

James Goldsmith also acquired some other brands at that time and created a conglomerate company known as Cavenham Foods. That is also when Chewzits were renamed to Chewits. At what point ownership turned into Cloetta is unclear but that is the owner and manufacturer now. 

How Did Chewits Get Their Name? 

If you’ve ever had Chewits, then you know that they are very chewy and very flavorful. The name closely relates to the chewing nature of the candy so it only makes sense that the name would fall to that category as well. They are chewy and tasty so you’re going to chew and then chew some more until they are gone.

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Ingredients

• Glucose Syrup
• Sugar
• Vegetable Fats (Palm, Coconut)
• Strawberry Juice from Concentrate (3%)
• Acid (Lactic Acid)
• Natural Flavouring
• Egg White Powder
• Hydrolysed Pea Protein
• Concentrate from (Blackcurrant, Carrot)

Nutrition

Serving Size:	100g (100g)	% Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat	27
Calories	387
Total Fat	3g	5%
Saturated Fat	2g	10%
Sodium	80mg	3%
Total Carbohydrates	88g	29%
Sugars	50g
Protein	0g

• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet.

Flavors

Through the years, there have been a lot of different flavors of Chewits on the market. They had four original flavors and still have a long list of flavors. Of course, they’ve also had some specialty flavors that have been really popular. 

Probably the most noteworthy flavor of the past was Ice Cream. Unfortunately, they discontinued this one but it’s still begged for by fans so maybe someday they will decide to bring it back. 

Here are the current flavors available. 

• Cherry
• Blue Raspberry
• Fruit Salad
• Strawberry
• Cola
• Xtreme Sour Cherry
• Xtreme Sour Lemon
• Xtreme Sour Apple
• Juicy Bites Blue Raspberry
• Juicy Bites Strawberry

Those are what you can find now that are still produced. Some of the past flavors they have had include blackcurrant, orange, Rhubarb & Custard, Ice Cream, and Banana. In fact, orange, banana, and blackcurrant were part of the original lineup of flavors but they don’t appear to be available anymore. 

All Chewits are made with real fruit juices, contain no artificial colors, and no hydrogenated fats.

Pictures

Commercials

Conclusion

Chewits are a great treat. They’re chewy and sweet and if you like sour, you can also go for the Xtreme sour choices too. They’ve come a long way through the years and continue to evolve with updated technology and customer demands. 

You will find plenty of fun and interesting stories but also see the thrill of the chase with this chewy candy that leaves you wanting more.