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MEMORIES:
retrophile remembers..."What do you call it? Whatchamacallit." I liked these a lot. I can imagine the brainstorming session names not chosen ... More »
Posted on 03/07/09
PHOTOS:
Whatever it is... whatever it was... Whatchamacallit! It's hard to forget a candy with such a ubiquitous name, and kids of the 80s loved their Whatchamacallits.
Created by Hershey's in 1978, Whatchamacallit was a blend of sweet milk chocolate and peanut-flavored crisps. Well, that was until 1987 came along and Hershey's added a layer of caramel, transforming the slightly boring bar into dreamy bites from heaven. The change in flavor, and the subsequent marketing blitz, catapulted Whatchamacallit from being a word used to describe something that can't be remembered into something to absolutely be remembered. New wave-styled commercials dominated the airwaves, from early morning to prime time, though most especially during Saturday Morning Cartoons, helping to drive neon-clad kids into candy counters and convenience stores to pick up their favorite new candy bar.
By today's standards, perhaps the Whatchamacallit is too simple, maybe even a bit boring. After all, there are really only three key ingredients (to the layman's taste buds). It's not mint this with cherry that. It's not covered with mini M&Ms, and its not wrapped in gold foil. Simple. Plain. Whatchamacallits are still pretty easy to find, though perhaps the few reaching for it are those who have a fond memory of simpler times. Perhaps others grabbed it for the sheer novelty of the name. If that's the case, then Hershey's should be glad they didn't go with the other names they considered, "Hello Mouth!" and the Alice In Wonderland throw-back "Eat Me!" Or maybe we should just be glad they didn't call it the thing-a-ma-jig or the doo-dad. Anyway you name it, Whatchamacallits were the candy you could ask for by name... even if you forgot that name.
