• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Nerds is heading back to the Super Bowl for the third year running, as Ferrara Candy suits up for the gummy boom reshaping America’s sweet tooth. Powered by Gen Z’s obsession with its Nerds Gummy Clusters, this year’s Big Game spot will feature another celebrity cameo — though the company isn't spilling the (candy-coated) beans yet.

“Nerds is coming back bigger and bolder, and our whole team is ready to deliver unforgettable moments our fans crave and introduce millions more to the ultimate game-day treat,” said Greg Guidotti, CMO at Ferrara Candy, in the announcement.

The move comes after a Halloween season that left chocolate lovers grimacing at checkout. Candy prices jumped more than 11% from last year, with some favorites up more than 20%. But rising cocoa costs only partly explain why gummies are nibbling at chocolate’s market share. Younger consumers prefer chew to melt, and Ferrara’s candy division has been feeding that shift with new formats and limited editions.

Earlier this fall, the company launched Nerds Juicy Gummy Clusters, double the size of the originals and hiding a liquid center for what it calls a “multisensory experience.” Two football-season flavors — Berry Punch Rush and Cherry Lemonade Blitz — are also making a limited-time comeback.

Since debuting Gummy Clusters in 2020, Nerds has ballooned into a nearly $1 billion brand. The National Confectioners Association says non-chocolate candy now accounts for one-third of the $38 billion U.S. confectionery market. Millennials are on track to overtake Gen X as the top non-chocolate buyers within two years, and Gen Z spending on candy is up 47% year-over-year. Across all ages, chewy and gummy candies dominate, with classic fruity flavors still the champs. But plenty of adventurous snackers chase ever-weirder textures, from freeze-dried bites to liquid-filled novelties.

Ferrara hasn’t yet revealed details of the new Super Bowl spot, but given the brand’s track record — pop singer Addison Rae in 2024, country star Shaboozey in 2025 — the next act will likely keep Nerds’ sticky-sweet streak alive. For now, the only sure thing is that the candy aisle remains the most competitive field in the game.