Twinkie, the Everlasting

Even Bankruptcy Could Not Keep those Airy Treats Down

Twinkies were front-page news in the United States after Hostess Brands Inc. filed for bankruptcy in November after an extended standoff with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.

Consumers flocked to stores to clean out stock and there was an outpouring of woe dominating online chats with #LongLiveTheTwinkie! appearing on Twitter and Twinkies being sold at the jaw-dropping price of thousands of dollars on Craigslist and Ebay. There was even a petition campaign to ask President Obama to help save the Twinkie.

But it wasn’t long before the public’s cry was heard and the problem rectified. A bankruptcy judge approved the sale of Twinkies and other Hostess brands to two investment firms, Apollo Global Management and Metropoulous & Co. for $410 million. Dean Metropoulous, the 66-year-old founder of the firm will serve as CEO. But he is leaving the revitalizing of the Twinkie Empire to his two sons—Dareen, 29, and Evan, 32.

These new bosses are excited for the future of Twinkies and promise to have the cakes back in consumers’ hands by the summer.

Evan Metropoulous told the Wall Street Journal, “We have a million A-list celebrities and athletes and so forth that are dying to be associated with the Hostess brands like Twinkies.”

He is hoping funny men Will Ferrell and Zak Galifanakis might sign on with quirky, viral ad campaigns. By using celebrities, they hope to reach a larger, younger audience.

To Time magazine, Darren Metropoulous said, “I think a lot of it will be guerrilla marketing that we’ve done with many other brands in the past, building on the retro nostalgia of these brands. Certainly there will be an element of social media marketing, through Twitter, through Facebook, through Instagram, to really get some great viral buzz.”

Despite the financial struggles of the Hostess Brands in the past, the Metropoulos’ are confident that saving the Twinkie is a savvy business investment.

Amid all the Twinkie hoarding panic, Canadians had little to worry about. The bankruptcy and sale of the brand did not carry over into the North. Canadian brands that own the licenses for Hostess products in Canada, like George Weston Ltd. and Saputo Inc., continued with their normal production levels of the tasty treat, and guarantee Twinkie snack time is not in jeopardy for Canucks.

Is the Twinkie Worth Saving?

Nutritionists wouldn’t mind if the Twinkie took a well-deserved hiatus. Each one packs around 150 calories. Many local bakeries are taking creative twists when it comes to reinventing old favourites like Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Ding Dongs. But this means the use of fresh products, while delicious and healthier, are not as cost effective.

It begs the question should Apollo Global Management and Metropoulous & Co. try to produce a cake that harkens back to the 1930s original or stick to the old “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” motto? Does the profit of nostalgia alone justify the continuation of something bad for consumers?

Changes to the iconic brand could destroy the nostalgia factor, something required at least for now if this brand wants to make a massive marketing push. Whatever direction these new entrepreneurs decide to go one thing is certain, the Twinkie is here to stay. Whether that is a good thing all depends on your taste buds.

Megan is a freelance writer/editor living in Victoria B.C. whose passions include fiction, poetry, music and dance.

Sources

Photo Courtesy to Orlando Sentinel & International Business Times