Candy Can recently unveiled its latest movie-linked LTO, revealing a banana-flavoured tie-in with Despicable Me 4.

The no-sugar soft drink challenger brand’s “Banana Candy” flavour is inspired by the Minions characters from Illumination’s successful animated franchise, Despicable Me. The brand teased the release on social.

“Our inspiration for this exciting flavour came from the Minions’ love for bananas, and of course their signature yellow colour,” says Sander de Jonge, founder of Candy Can, which came to Canada in 2023. “We knew that Banana Candy is also a nostalgic candy flavour and thought what better way to bring it to life in a zero-sugar, drinkable format.”

De Jonge tells strategy that in Europe, it launched a banana flavour in 2023 after a development process of more than one and a half years. The company’s aim was to capture the exact taste of the well-known banana foam candy, which he says wasn’t easy to create.

“After the introduction, we saw strong sales data, so we felt confident using this banana flavour for our new collaboration with Minions,” de Jonge says.

De Jonge adds that the company tries to surprise the brand’s fans with new flavours each year. The brand already features an array of flavours in Canada such as Birthday Cake, Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Rocket Ice Lolly, and Sour Apple.

Candy Can also recently released an LTO based on another beloved silver screen character, tied to the 2023 film Wonka, and using in-store messaging in major convenience and grocery stores.

“There are no floor displays this time around,” de Jonge notes. “We find that people much prefer a cold beverage from the fridge.”

“Wonka was a massive success for Candy Can as well as for (Warner Bros),” de Jonge adds. “In Canada, the Wonka flavour gained true fans through its availability at Costco, Circle K and Couche-Tard.”

In the UK, he notes that the Wonka Toffee Apple flavour was the second biggest new beverage introduction in retail.

This Candy Can x Wonka collab, de Jonge points out, showed that “when two strong brands collaborate, it can have a big impact.”

Candy Can is distributed by Unique Foods and is currently available nationally at select retailers nationally, with the limited edition Minions Candy Can in Circle K (Atlantic Canada.), Couche Tard, and in Sobeys grocery and related banners.