Western consumers who have an interest in Japanese culture are familiar with a unique product category from that country: DIY candy kits. E-commerce sites and subscription boxes that specialize in snack foods or novelties from Japan often feature the kits, which also regularly appear in “unboxing” videos on YouTube.
The kits, packaged in bags, contain pieces of candy (such as gummies) or other sweet components that the consumer combines to form a larger edible treat. The finished products can take the form of shakes, mystery drinks, or shaped puddings, as well as candy creations. The individual pieces are transformed into items such other foods (e.g., tiny boxes of pizza, hamburgers, or ice cream cones), animals (pandas), or locations (hair salons). Some even end up depicting things not typically associated with food, such as a candy toilet with drinkable liquid or pudding in the shape of a butt.
Some of the most popular Japanese licensed characters are featured in these DIY kits, including Crayon Shin Chan (associated with the aforementioned butt pudding), Gudetama, PreCure, Hello Kitty, Yo-Kai Watch, Hanakappa, Pokémon, and Super Mario. Occasionally a non-Japanese property will appear in the segment, as with a recent Minions mystery drink kit.
Among the brands known for DIY candy kits are Kracie, Bandai, and Heart. Heart is a leading licensee in the category, while Bandai makes kits as part of its master toy licenses for properties such as Pokémon and Super Mario.
DIY candy kits seem unlikely to become a mass market licensed product category in most regions outside of Asia, although their appeal to kawaii-loving Western consumers will probably endure. They present an interesting illustration of how unique product categories continue to exist locally in territories around the world, even as the licensing business overall has become increasingly globalized.
Comments are closed.