Smarties launches branded Facebook group

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 17-Mar-08, 12:10

LONDON - Nestle Rowntree is backing the return of the blue Smartie after a two-year absence with a branded group on Facebook.

The launch of the group comes a month after Nestle revealed it was bringing the blue Smartie back, after withdrawing it in 2006 in line with a company-wide move to remove all e-colourings from Smarties.

The group, which at the time of writing has 51 fans, features product photos, a new ad and editorial content with links to the official Smarties website.

Users can find out how to throw a Smarties party and read '10 fun things you never knew about Smarties'.

Smarties will be hoping to match the success of Marmite, which launched a branded group last month that has already attracted almost 50,000 fans.

The confectionery giant last month revealed it had found a naturally occurring azure blue colour in a particular type of seaweed. This allowed the company to reintroduce the popular blue Smartie.

The seaweed, called Spirulina, is noted for its health properties, including its richness of proteins and minerals.

The confectionery brand has launched a branded presence on the social networking website in a bid to engage young consumers and drive traffic to its main site.

Blue Smarties were introduced in 1989 and were replaced in 2006 by the White Smartie -- a move that proved unpopular with consumers.

Smarties' first foray into the social networking space comes as advertisers begin to sell their products on Facebook.

Last month, Mars became the first advertiser to sell its products on Facebook via a service called Celebrate, which allows users to buy vouchers that can be redeemed for Mars goods at stores.