Lip Smacker says a sad goodbye
Lip Smackers fans are totally buggin’ right now. News just broke that Bonnie Bell Co., the company that makes the ever popular Lip Smacker products is being acquired. Lip Smackers boasts over 800 yummy lip balm flavors such as Cherry Coke, Cotton Candy, and cult favorite Dr Pepper. Life is so unfair.
This news is upsetting, especially following the recent announcements regarding the demise of Delia’s and Wet Seal. Lip Smacker balms were insanely popular with tweens and teens of the 90s generation and beyond. With your favorite Lip Smackers flavor attached to your belt loop on a key chain and your vast collection organized in your Caboodle, you were tres cool.
Bonne Bell began in 1927 and their Lip Smackers line began marketing to the youth of American in 1973. They were one of the first companies to cleverly concentrate their beauty products on this niche market. The company is now in its third generation of family ownership and still plan to keep a portion of their company under their Aspire brand name.
Is all hope lost?
Bonne Bell & Lip Smackers, however, will be purchased by Markwins International Corp. Bonne Bell announced the closing of their manufacturing and distribution facilities in Westlake, OH and will be permanently laying off 91 employees in the transition process. Markwins International has had success with this kind of acquisition before, with beauty brand, Physician’s Formula.
It doesn’t look like the products are going anywhere either, in fact, it looks like the brand might be in safe hands. Eric Chen, CEO of Markwins elaborates, “On a personal level, Markwins’ brands have always aimed to connect with consumers in an intimate way. Bonne Bell is an industry icon, with a rich history dating back 87 years and with 94% consumer recognition. These numbers are staggering in our business, but the smiles the name alone brings to the faces of the consumers are much more impactful.”
Fortunately, Markwins International seems like they get the sentimentality that goes along with the brand they are acquiring. Here’s hoping for the best in this branding transition as we cling tightly to our Dr. Pepper flavored Lip Smackers and the other nostalgic products of our youth going by the wayside. Collective sigh.
