# Oversized Athlete-Approved Candies The Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies Come in Two Varieties By Michael Hemsworth | Published 2024-09-10 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shaqalicious-xl-gummies References: [drugstorenews](https://drugstorenews.com/hershey-debuts-shaq-licious-xl-gummies) & [thehersheycompany](https://www.thehersheycompany.com)  The Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies have been created by [The Hershey Company](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-hershey-company-and-nintendo) with iconic basketball player Shaquille O'Neal as a new take on the classic gummy-style candy. The product comes in two varieties including Shaq-A-Licious Original and Shaq-A-Licious Sour, which are molded after O'Neal's face and have playful shapes, respectively. The candies have a large format that sets them apart from the smaller sweets products on the market as a nod to O'Neal's signature stature in mind. O'Neal himself spoke on the new Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies saying, "I’m just a big kid at heart. I love making people smile and having fun--that’s why I created Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies. So go ahead, bite my head off. Life’s too short not to have fun.” ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.9/10 - Popularity: 52% | Activity: 66% | Freshness: 28% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Celebrity-endorsed Confectionery:** Leveraging the popularity of sports figures expands market appeal and provides a unique branding strategy. - **Large-format Sweets:** Oversized candy products cater to novelty-seeking consumers looking for distinctive and memorable experiences. - **Gummy Candy Innovations:** New dual-variety gummy candies with bold, playful designs offer differentiation in a saturated market. ### Where This Applies - **Food and Beverage:** Innovating with celebrity partnerships introduces new product lines and increases consumer engagement. - **Sports Marketing:** Endorsing products with athletic icons broadens brand visibility and penetrates diverse demographic segments. - **Confectionery:** Creating larger-than-average candies provides a fun and unique selling proposition within the candy industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Multi-Textured Candy Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shaqalicious-slams.md) - [Oversized Textural Candy Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skittles-giants-gooey.md) - [Jumbo Gummy Bear Lollipops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nassau-candy.md) - [Sporty Cereal-Focused Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/general-mills-and-shaquille-oneal.md) - [Basketball-Themed Chocolate Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yowie-and-the-nba.md) - [Crunchy Candy Holiday Shakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/holiday-crunch-shake.md) - [Oversized Mismatched Halloween Candies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sour-patch-kids-monster-heads.md) - [Consumer-Focused Packaging Strategies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/consumerfocused-packaging-strategies.md) - [Grown-Up Chocolate Bars](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gigantic-candy-deluxe.md)