"Consumers have always contacted us and asked: `Who are they? The owners? The founders?'" Pye said. That curiosity helped spark the idea of a story line as a new Just Born management team, led by President David Yale, looked to reinvigorate their folksy brands, which include Peeps, Hot Tamales and Peanut Chews. "We have an opportunity to really build them and grow them," Pye said. The Mike and Ike split was announced on the brand's Facebook page on April 2. The candy has added more than 200,000 Facebook fans since then, to about 650,000, thanks in part to media reports about what some call Mike and Ike's gay "divorce." Whatever the pair's relationship, The Morning Call of Allentown, in the company's backyard, noted Friday that such a marriage couldn't take place in Pennsylvania, which does not have same-sex unions. No matter, some fans are already worried about custody issues. "OK, who gets what colors?" asked Facebook fan Randy Fasnacht. "I'm going to follow whoever gets green." |