| Owner | Ferrara Candy Company |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 2020 |
Nerds Gummy Clusters are a spin-off Nerd candy product. After the candy was launched in 2020, it gained a cult following and became one of the largest products of the Ferrara Candy Company.
Nerds Gummy Clusters have a gummy center similar to a prior Nerds candy, the Nerds Rope. [1] However, the latter was too messy to eat and did not hold Nerds well. [1] [2] Instead, a gummy gel is melted and put into round molds to produce a sticky cluster. [1] A smaller version of the classic Nerd is made for the cluster, and the clusters move through beds of the smaller Nerds until they are completely covered. [1]
The Ferrero Group purchased Nestlé's American candy business in 2018, as Nerds sales were declining. [3] [1] Ferrara Candy Company took control of the non-chocolate brands, [3] including the Nerds brand, and its scientists began to rework the candy. [1] For six months, the team worked on a new approach. [1] Despite mixed reviews in testing, the candy was launched in stores in 2020. [1] [3]
The company did not initially spend significant amounts on advertising. [3] Instead, the candy gained popularity in 2021 when Kylie Jenner posted an Instagram story where she said she was "obsessed" with the candy. [1] This resulted in a spike in Google searches and sales. [1] After Jenner's story, the candy went viral on social media. [1] [2]
After the release of Nerds Gummy Clusters, Nerds annual sales increased from $50 million in 2018 to $850 million in 2024, [4] with the clusters making up 90% of Nerds sales. [3]
In 2024, the company created a 30 second advertisement featuring singer Addison Rae, which debuted at Super Bowl LVIII. [5] [6] This was the company's first Super Bowl advertisement. [5] In 2025, the candy was featured in a second Super Bowl commercial with Shaboozey. [4]