Nerds Gummy Clusters

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

Owner	Ferrara Candy Company
Country	United States
Introduced	2020; 5 years ago (2020)

Features

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]

History

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]

Advertising

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]