Whatchama #ThrowbackThursday

Or is it ThrowbackThursdaymacallit?

You know that one candy bar, the one with the peanut flavored crispiness, covered in chocolate, with caramel. What’s it called?

Perhaps today’s commercial from 1989 (found among some 1990 commercials), in all its late 1980s glory, can shed some light on this candy bar you’re racking your brain to put a name on!

Doo-dad, skinnamarink, more than a mouthful…oh just watch, maybe you’ll figure it out!

Thingamabob, gobbledygook, what’s his face…chewy, chocolatey, crunchy, Hershey’s, and super unpronounceable to some.

Whatchamacallit?

That’s what it’s called!

Whatchamacallit is (yes, is!) a candy bar manufactured by Hershey, introduced in 1978. The original incarnation of Whatchamacallit (from 1978 until 1987) was a peanut-flavored crisp that utilized peanut butter as the flavoring agent, and covered in milk chocolate. The second version, from 1987 until 2008, saw the addition of caramel and more of a chocolate layering. The name itself came from Sallie Grayson, notable as the author of STUFFED: Adventures of a Restaurant Family. At the time, she was the associate creative director at Doyle Dane & Bernbach, and was in charge of new brands on their Hershey account.

Whatchamacallit has also found its way into recipes for cupcakes, cheesecakes, cookies, and pies. Despite ingredient changes in 2008 to avoid price increases, the Whatchamacallit is still manufactured today, outliving the equally interestingly-named Thingamajig, which was introduced in 2009 and boasted chocolate crisps, chocolate, and peanut butter as its ingredients. That product was later reintroduced in 2011 as a supposedly permanent product, but was discontinued as of 2012.

Image: Amazon

While advertising for Whatchamacallit peaked in the 1980s, and fewer advertisements were made to promote the candy, I remember seeing this commercial frequently. The animation, the jingle – even for a little kid that didn’t really understand it, the commercial itself was visually appealing.

I hadn’t really even taken the time to notice if the candy bar still exists – I’m excited it still is – but I definitely haven’t seen any commercials for it in so many years. I recall this exact commercial having some life beyond the late 1980s and early 1990s. In fact, a YouTube search brought up only earlier advertisements, all of which pale in comparison to this one. Maybe it is the fact that this catchy song had some staying power, but this one is just so much fun.

How’s it go, was-in-do (?), chewy caramel…

Just ask for it by name!

Have a great Throwback Thursday!

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