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Nestlé
Sometimes the most beloved things in life are the ones that slip away too soon.
For millions of ’90s kids, nothing captured the magic of childhood quite like a bag of Butterfinger BBs. Perfect, poppable spheres of crispety-crunchety goodness that disappeared just as mysteriously as they arrived.
This is their story.
Long before BB’s existed, there was Otto Schnering—a 24-year-old University of Chicago graduate with $100 and a wild dream.
In 1916, Otto founded the Curtiss Candy Company in a second-floor back room on Chicago’s North Halsted Street. He chose his mother’s maiden name over his German surname, smart thinking during the anti-German sentiment of WWI.
But Otto wasn’t just another candy maker. He was a marketing genius ahead of his time.
The man literally dropped candy bars from airplanes.
In the 1920s, he used planes to circle over major American cities, dropping tiny parachutes with Baby Ruth and Butterfinger bars attached. It was outrageous. It was dangerous. It was pure marketing gold.
By 1928, Curtiss was manufacturing one billion candy bars annually, employing over 3,500 people across three Chicago factories.
Fast forward to 1988. A little-known animated family called The Simpsons was just shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.
Butterfinger took a chance on them.
The first commercial, “The Butterfinger Group,” introduced the world to a new character: Milhouse Van Houten. That’s right—Milhouse debuted in a candy commercial, not the actual show.
When The Simpsons exploded into a cultural phenomenon, Butterfinger was right there with them. Bart Simpson became the candy’s unofficial spokesperson, warning everyone that “Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!”
It was advertising magic. Over 150 commercials would follow.
1992 changed everything.
Someone at Nestlé (who now owned Butterfinger after a series of corporate buyouts) had a brilliant idea. What if we made Butterfinger... but in tiny pieces? And round? And perfect for popping in your mouth?
Butterfinger BB’s were born.
Road trips were never the same. Movie theaters had a new MVP. Kids hoarded the candy like treasure.
The Simpsons family immediately embraced their new bite-sized co-stars. Commercials showed Bart’s family raiding his secret BB’s stash, with everyone from Krusty to Mr. Burns getting in on the action.
For 14 magical years, BB’s ruled the candy aisle.
Then came 2006.
Without warning, without explanation, Butterfinger BB’s vanished from shelves.
Nestlé offered no official reason. Fans were devastated. Theories emerged:
The truth remains a mystery.
One heartbroken fan even called Nestlé’s corporate headquarters demanding answers. The company sent him a booklet of coupons for regular Butterfingers.
It wasn’t the same.
2009 brought back something similar. Butterfinger Bites.
Nestlé tried to recapture the magic with these “Mini Bites”—but longtime fans knew immediately. They weren’t BB’s. They were imposters wearing familiar clothes.
The shape was wrong. The experience was different. The magic was gone.
Butterfinger Bites still exist today, sold at Walmart and Amazon. They have their fans. But they’re not BB’s.
They’re not home.
The BB’s story took another turn in 2018 when Ferrero bought Butterfinger from Nestlé for $2.8 billion.
Ferrero immediately “improved” the recipe—removing preservatives, using different peanuts, increasing cocoa content.The 2019 “Better Butterfinger” campaign promised enhanced flavor.
But it raised a haunting question: If BB’s returned today, would they even taste the same?
The Butterfinger of 2025 isn’t the Butterfinger of 1992. The company has changed hands. The recipe has evolved. The world has moved on.
The Simpsons returned to Butterfinger packaging in 2024 for the candy’s 100th anniversary. Bart and Homer smiled from wrappers, reminding us of what we lost.
Food enthusiasts create homemade BB’s recipes. Online communities share memories and petition for their return. The love endures.
But some magic can’t be recreated.
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