As the year wraps up, it’s time to reflect on the incredible moments we’ve shared. In 2024, our brands played a vital role in giving back, connecting with communities and creating a lasting impact. We’re thankful for the loyalty and passion of our fans, whose support drives everything we do. Looking toward 2025, we’re filled with excitement and hope, eager to continue building on these experiences and embrace the opportunities that await. Here’s to a new year full of growth and inspiration!
New Flavors, Same SPAM® Brand
The makers of the SPAM® brand introduced the two newest additions to its full-time flavor lineup.
SPAM® Korean BBQ, a sweet and spicy variety featuring a bold blend of umami and Korean-inspired spices highlighted how the new variety appealed to both nostalgic fans and newcomers eager to experience Korean BBQ flavors. SPAM® Korean BBQ Flavored combines soy sauce, garlic, ginger, paprika, sesame and a kick of gochujang paste. Chef Esther Choi collaborated with the brand to showcase the flavor in her signature dishes.
SPAM® Gochujang was also unveiled in 2024, a flavor inspired by the popular Korean chili paste. Available in an eight-pack exclusively at Costco, this variety combined spicy, sweet, smoky, and umami flavors and can be used in traditional Korean dishes like kimbap and budae jjigae or added to musubi, eggs, or ramen.
The SPAM® brand team deepened its special bond with Hawaii, partnering with Hawaiian artist Kamea Hadar to create a limited-edition SPAM® Hawaiian Collector’s Edition can. The can, which was made available at grocery retailers throughout Hawaii, featured a design honoring the people of Hawaii. Hadar’s artwork incorporated a yellow hibiscus and a pink Lokelani rose, the latter symbolizing the resilience of Maui after the 2023 wildfires.
With Hawaii consuming more SPAM® products than any other U.S. state, the brand continues to honor its deep-rooted place in the local culture. National SPAM® Musubi Day, celebrated for the first time earlier this year, was another example of that special connection, as the makers of the SPAM® brand launched a limited-edition SPAM® Musubi merch collection to commemorate the occasion. All proceeds from the collection — which featured trendy apparel, summer essentials and even a Musubi-shaped ottoman — were donated to Aloha United Way in continued support of the Maui community. Hawaiian actor Auli’i Cravalho, a fan of SPAM® products, partnered with the brand team to promote the collection.
BLACK LABEL® Bacon Ranch Flavored was another limited-edition offering in 2023, a revival of an old fan favorite. One of those fans, Myles Montplaisir — better known as the “You Betcha Guy” — partnered with us on the product launch. Widely respected as an expert on all things ranch, Montplaisir sampled Ranch Flavored Bacon on his social-media accounts. His reaction after the initial taste test: “They nailed it.”
The makers of the BLACK LABEL® brand also joined forces with a pair of Olympic silver medalists: divers Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon, also known as #CookNBacon. After the pair qualified for the 2024 summer games, the BLACK LABEL® team supplied Cook and Bacon with a four-year supply of bacon, fueling them to 2028! Cook and Bacon, who train in Minnesota, went on to win the silver medal.
Dawes and Memmel shared their personal appreciation for peanut butter as a quick, nutritious snack. The SKIPPY® brand also provided products to athletes competing at the event to fuel them before, during and after their performances, with the partnership aimed to inspire the next generation of Olympic athletes.
After a seven-year absence, SKIPPY® peanut butter made its highly anticipated return to the Canadian market, introducing five new peanut butter-inspired snack products instead of the traditional jarred peanut butter. Hormel Foods, which acquired the brand in 2013, showcased the new snack lineup at the SIAL Canada 2024 show in Montreal, including SKIPPY® Crispy Thin Potato Cookies, which launched in June at select Costco Canada stores.
In line with those values, Applegate announced plans to transition its entire beef hot dog line to use beef raised on regenerative grasslands by 2025, which it hopes will help regenerated up to 6 million acres of grassland. This initiative emphasizes regenerative farming practices, which can help restore soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce livestock agriculture’s environmental impact.
In April, Applegate introduced Fully Cooked Sunday Bacon, a shelf-stable, microwavable bacon that meets the growing demand for convenience. Applegate followed that two months later by the launch of its first nationally available organic pepperoni options: Pork & Beef and Turkey Uncured Pepperoni. The pepperoni products were celebrated with a sweepstakes offering prizes, including a wood-fired pizza oven.
For National Pepperoni Pizza Day on September 20, HORMEL® Pepperoni encouraged fans to take “Pepperoni Time Off” (PTO) by declaring their intention to enjoy the day without distractions. Starting September 4, fans could enter for the chance to win an Ultimate HORMEL® Pepperoni Pizza Vacation to New York City or Chicago during National Pizza Month (October). “Saved by the Bell” star Tiffani Thiessen joined the brand during the campaign, expressing her own love for HORMEL® Pepperoni products while encouraging consumers to take “PTO” and enter the sweepstakes.
What could be more uplifting than a wedding attended my MR. PEANUT®? In 2024, the PLANTERS® brand teamed up once again with Miller High Life to offer consumers the chance to have a full dive bar wedding, complete with co-branded merch, a ride in the iconic PLANTERS® NUTmobile, and an appearance from the monacled MR. PEANUT®, himself.
The PLANTERS® brand team also introduced several new snack innovations, including PLANTERS® Nut Duos, a product that combines two complementary flavors and two types of nuts. Available in three exciting options — Buffalo Cashews & Ranch Almonds, Cocoa Cashews & Espresso Hazelnuts, and Parmesan Cheese Cashews & Peppercorn Pistachios — the Nut Duos were designed to provide a unique and versatile snacking experience. The snacks were well-received and quickly became a nationwide favorite.
Additionally, the makers of the PLANTERS® brand expanded their flavored-cashew line with Salt & Vinegar Cashews, catering to consumers seeking a bold, tangy snack. They also introduced limited-edition holiday offerings like Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Cashews, along with other seasonal favorites like Butter Cinnamon Pecans and Holiday Nut Crunch. To celebrate National Peanut Day, the PLANTERS® brand team launched Special Reserve Peanuts, a limited-edition product made from premium Virginia-grown peanuts. Available in collector’s edition packaging, this special offering honored the brand’s legacy.
PLANTERS® introduced its new class of Peanutters after reviewing hundreds of applications. The three selected candidates, Jessie Carl, Katie Krupinski, and Ryan Connors, were chosen for their vibrant personalities and adventurous spirits. They trained in Austin, Minnesota, before embarking on a year-long journey piloting the NUTmobile across the U.S. Naturally, MR. PEANUT® welcomed the new trio with open arms.
The makers of the CORN NUTS® brand also expanded their snacking portfolio in 2024, launching CORN NUTS® Loaded Taco into its full-time lineup of craveable crunchy corn kernels. Combining the familiar tastes of garlic, onion, tomato, paprika, and lime, these Loaded Taco kernels are as craveable as they sound. The same could be said for CORN NUTS® Kickin Dill, launched as a limited-time flavor in the summer at select convenience retailers.
The debate over double-dipping has always sparked strong opinions on social media and in surveys, inspiring the makers of HORMEL® Chili to come up with an innovative solution: Double Dippable Chips, designed with a perforation for easy splitting into two halves. The HORMEL® Chili brand team also encouraged consumers to participate in an online survey to gauge public opinion on the double-dip debate. By participating in the survey, consumers could enter for a chance to win limited-edition HORMEL® Chili Double Dip Kits, which included the chips, a can of HORMEL® Chili, and a 7-Layer Chili Cheese Dip recipe. The kits were timed for the college hoops tournament, offered as a fun way to enjoy dips during the games.
At the 2024 National Restaurant Show, the product received enthusiastic responses, with many operators impressed by its versatility and taste. The success of the FLASH 180™ brand reflects our company’s ability to disrupt the fried-chicken market by introducing innovative solutions to longstanding challenges in foodservice operations.
The same can be said for HERDEZ® salsa, whose brand team introduced an exciting new line of restaurant-style Chunky Salsa varieties, available in three heat levels: mild, medium and hot. Made with fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, green chile peppers and onions, the salsa features a thick, chunky texture, a nod to younger consumers seeking authentic flavors.
On Oct. 10, the makers of HERDEZ® salsa also launched House of Heritage, a one-day immersive event in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month at Chelsea Market in New York City. The event celebrated Hispanic culture, Mexican cuisine and the art of salsa dipping. Guests enjoyed cooking demonstrations by Michelin-starred Chef Cosme Enrique Aguilar, who showcased dishes like Spicy Street Corn Dip using HERDEZ® salsa. Dipiquette tutorials with social media personality Harry Hill taught the art of perfecting salsa dips.
The makers of the CHI-CHI’S® brand reached a licensing agreement with a third-party ownership group to revitalize the iconic Mexican restaurant chain, with stores expected to open in 2025.
In celebration of these products, the COLUMBUS® team invited its followers to step into our Spooky Village, where Salame Secchi Fiore gravestones and houses made from our salumi and artisan cheeses set the scene.
The JENNIE-O® brand also participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® for the fifth consecutive year. The Jennie-O Big Turkey Spectacular float, first unveiled in 2020, was a major highlight, with its oversized tail feathers releasing confetti, and a motion-activated top hat revealing baby turkey figures. This year, the float also featured musical entertainment by GRAMMY winner T-Pain, who sang a lineup of his No. 1 hits.