Butterfinger is a candy bar made by Nestlé.
The bar consists of a flaky, orange-colored center—somewhat similar texture to crisp caramel, with a taste similar to peanut butter—that is coated in compound chocolate.
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Butterfinger was invented by the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago, Illinois, in 1923.[1] The company held a public contest to choose the name of the candy. The name is a slang term used to describe a clumsy person, often in sporting events to describe an athlete who can't hold onto the ball. As an early publicity stunt and marketing ploy, the company dropped Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars from airplanes in cities across the United States which helped increase its popularity. The Curtiss Candy Company was owned by Standard Brands Inc which merged with Nabisco in 1981 to become Nabisco Brands, Inc., and, in 1990, Nestlé bought Baby Ruth and Butterfinger from RJR Nabisco.
Two of the slogans currently used to advertise the candy bar are "Follow the Finger" and "Break out of the ordinary!" Prior to these, Bart Simpson, and other characters from Fox's The Simpsons, appeared in numerous advertisements for the product from 1990 to 2001, with the slogans "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!", "Bite my Butterfinger!", and "Nothin' like a Butterfinger!" Butterfinger terminated the advertising contract with the Simpsons in late 2001. Making fun of them, a Simpsons episode called "Sweets and Sour Marge" included a scene involving Butterfinger bars being unable to be burned, with Chief Wiggum saying "even the fire doesn't want them."
On April 1, 2008, Nestlé launched an April Fool's Day initiative indicating that they had changed the name of the candy bar to "The Finger", citing consumer research that indicated that the original brand was "clumsy" and "awkward", complete with a fake Web site[2] promoting the change and featuring a video press release. When the joke is revealed, the entire website changes into a flash animation redirecting to the Butterfinger Comedy Network.
Butterfinger was withdrawn from the German market due to consumer rejection when it was one of the first products to be labeled as containing genetically modified ingredients from corn.[3][4]
In recent years, Butterfinger bars have appeared in the United States that are printed with both English and Spanish language on the wrappers.
In 2009, a new ad for Butterfinger was made that was a throwback to The Simpsons ads for Butterfinger.
Also, in recent years, in India, Butterfinger ads have aired, featuring actor (and former National Bingo Night commissioner) Sunil Narkar.
In the 1990s, another form of Butterfinger bars was available called "BB's." Similar to Whoppers and Malteasers, they were roughly the size of marbles and sold in bags. They were discontinued in 2006. In 2009, the product was brought back as Butterfinger Mini Bites.
During the height of the energy drink craze in 2009, a version of the candy bar containing 80 milligrams of caffeine was released with limited distribution. The wrapper wears the following warning: "Contains 80mg per package (40 mg per piece), as much as in the leading energy drink. Not recommended for pregnant women, children or persons sensitive to caffeine." [5]
A product with an ice cream filling. It was discontinued in 2004.
A product similar to that of Butterfinger Ice Cream Bars but are shaped in a nugget. It was discontinued as well.
Nestlé also produces Butterfinger Crisp bars, which are a form of chocolate-covered wafer cookie, with a Butterfinger-flavored cream. This is part of a line of Nestlé products under the Crisp name, including Nestlé Crunch Crisp and Baby Ruth Crisp.
Butterfinger Snackerz is a bite sized version of the candy bar.
A part of Edy's (Dreyer's west of the Rockie Mountains and outside the US) Fun Flavors line. The product is vanilla ice cream with a peanut butter swirl and bits of the Butterfinger candy bar in it.