Ferrara Candy Company's Trolli Brand Gets Weirdly Awesome With Star Basketball Player James Harden

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL--(Marketwired - Feb 2, 2016) - Since 2013, Ferrara Candy Company's Trolli® brand has encouraged consumers to celebrate being Weirdly Awesome®. Today, the leading sour gummi brand announces their partnership with like-minded star basketball player James Harden. From letting Sour Brite Crawlers get "in his head" in a new TV spot, to engaging digital and social content and a new Sour Brite gummi inspired by his iconic beard, James Harden will bring the Weirdly Awesome campaign to life in weird and awesome ways throughout 2016.

"James Harden truly embodies what we celebrate and admire at Trolli, celebrating self-expression, unique style and having fun. From his iconic beard, to his crazy faces and his signature dance moves... everything about James is Weirdly Awesome," said Jill Manchester, SVP Marketing and Brand Strategy, Ferrara Candy Company. "He's the perfect ambassador to inject a little of the unordinary into our consumers' day-to-day lives. In fact, we've coined the term Beardly Awesome as a nod to our partnership with James."

The partnership kicks off today with an arsenal of content developed for digital/social platforms and television. In the lead spot, Harden shuns the game day notion of getting into a player's head. We then see that what's in James Harden's head is actually Trolli. Before the viewer knows it, both James and Trolli are in their head! The new spot will air nationally beginning February 3 across a variety of cable channels and online via digital video.

The launch of #BeardlyAwesome social content begins today with a special press conference that will be given by the beard itself. The press conference will be released on Trolli's Facebook, Twitter (@Trolli_USA) and Tumblr channels. In addition:

• A "never ending Harden beard" will take over Trolli's Instagram (@Trolli_USA).
• On Trolli's Twitter account, Harden's beard itself will respond directly to any Tweets using #BeardlyAwesome.
• The Beard will also take live questions via Trolli's SnapChat. 

"I'm truly honored to be Trolli's new Weirdly Awesome ambassador," said James Harden, star basketball player. "I'm a long-time fan of Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers and the Weirdly Awesome campaign because it represents my own approach to life. Trolli's unique. I'm unique. We both like to push the envelope and be creative. That's why we work well together." 

Harden's love of Trolli and contribution to the Weirdly Awesome campaign also includes new product development. He inspired new Trolli Sour Brite Weird Beards, where his face and iconic beard are brought to life in Trolli's bright colors and beloved flavor combinations. The Beards will be available to consumers this spring, and Harden will continue to be a part of Trolli's new product development, with additional products launching throughout the campaign.

For more information on the new Beardly Awesome campaign, visit WeirdlyAwesome.com. Check out Trolli on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and download special edition Trollimojis stickers featuring Harden at http://bit.ly/TrolliKB.

About Ferrara Candy Company, Inc.
Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., Ferrara Candy Company is a leading general line candy manufacturer, created by the merger of Ferrara Pan Candy Company, Inc. and Farley's & Sathers Candy Company, Inc. in 2012. The Company manufactures a robust portfolio of branded and private label confections that consumers love. For more information, please visit the company's website, www.ferrarausa.com.