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Soft drink disruptor Candy Can has announced a new licensing partnership with global confectionery giant Perfetti Van Melle. The collaboration introduces the iconic Bubblicious brand into the ready-to-drink (RTD) space, debuting with a special-edition Bubble Gum flavour inspired by Bubblicious’s heritage product, "The Original One."
The launch represents a strategic intersection of nostalgia and beverage innovation, reflecting a broader industry trend where familiar confectionery experiences are being reimagined as modern, carbonated liquid formats.
Confectionery to Beverage Crossover
For Perfetti Van Melle, the partnership underscores a continued push to extend its core intellectual property into adjacent, high-growth categories. Bubblicious joins a roster of globally recognised brands—including Chupa Chups and Mentos—that the company is actively developing through licensing agreements across the food, beverage, and lifestyle segments.
Carla Fernández-Moreno, Food and Beverage Licensing Manager at Perfetti Van Melle, stated that the collaboration provides an exciting new format for the Bubblicious brand. She noted that the partnership makes perfect sense given that both brands share a core spirit of fun, creativity, and innovation.
For Candy Can, the deal highlights the company’s evolution from a niche novelty producer into a highly structured innovation platform. The brand has successfully built commercial momentum through limited-edition drops and aggressive flavour experimentation, leveraging social media engagement to drive consumer interest.
Product Profile and Innovation Pipeline
The special-edition Bubble Gum beverage translates the signature sweet-and-juicy profile of traditional chewing gum into a carbonated soft drink. The product is designed to evoke strong childhood associations while appealing to contemporary consumers who are actively seeking playful, limited-edition retail offerings.
Sander de Jonge, founder of Candy Can, emphasised the brand's commitment to surprising consumers in unexpected ways. To maintain this momentum, Candy Can has already confirmed a robust pipeline of future SKU launches for 2026, including:
Bubblicious Watermelon 🍉: A planned extension of the Perfetti Van Melle collaboration.
Ice Pop 🧊🍦: A retro flavour profile inspired by North America’s classic rocket popsicles, designed to resonate across multiple generations.
Retail and Canadian Rollout
The Bubble Gum beverage began its rollout across major Canadian retailers in April. To maximise shelf visibility in the competitive soft drink aisle, the product features bold, energetic packaging that seamlessly merges the vibrant, youth-oriented visual identity of Bubblicious with Candy Can’s colourful design language.
As the beverage industry continues to lean into "kidult" trends—where adults seek out nostalgic, indulgent flavours in modern formats—Candy Can’s cross-category licensing strategy positions it as a leading innovator in the novelty RTD segment throughout 2026.
