The Brilliance Behind The Whatchamacallit Candy Bar

It all began in 1978 when the Hershey Company introduced the world to the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar. Featuring a magical mixture of sweet and salty, they were an instant hit from day one! Not to mention, they’re still a hit many decades later! 

However, the original formula was modified in 1987 to include caramel in the mix. To this day, this is the recipe that Hershey’s customers know and love. 

As one fan nicely summarized in an online review, “Whatchamacallit should be called The Everything Bar because it’s got almost everything you want in a candy bar.” We couldn’t agree more with this statement, as it’s undeniably true! 

The Famous Hershey Company

Visit any convenience store, chances are you’ll run into dozens of Hershey products! They might not be as noticeable as Hershey’s Chocolate, nonetheless, they’re still part of the brand.

From Kit Kat, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Jolly Ranchers, to sour candies, the Hershey Brand is impossible to miss. To understand how a single company came to dominate the candy industry, one only needs to look at its long, rich history of chocolate innovation leading up to the release of the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar. 

The Man Behind the Magic

Currently, company headquarters are located in a town called Hershey, Pennsylvania, how cute! To this day, loyal customers can take an immersive tour of the Hershey factory. Once there, one can see, feel, hear and smell the transformation of cocoa beans into the final chocolate product. 

The company was originally founded in 1894 in Lancaster, PA by a man named Milton S. Hershey. During a trip to Chicago, Hershey witnessed the process of chocolate-making for the very first time at the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Soon after, he made the decision to enter the chocolate business himself. 

What started as a humble chocolate company in 1894 became a successful business empire and, eventually, one of the largest chocolate manufacturing plants in the world. 

The entrepreneur remained with the company right up until he passed away in 1945, and even after that, the business kept expanding. For many today, the name “Hershey” has become equivalent to the word “chocolate.” 

Hersheypark, PA

Beyond his chocolate company, Milton Hershey was also an extremely humanitarian and philanthropic individual. 

In addition to running chocolate production, he planned to build a park that created a more pleasant environment for his workers and the residents living near the factory. 

Hershey Park was opened to the public on Memorial Day in 1906, complete with a pavilion for theater productions and space for picnicking, boating, and canoeing. 

Over the years, Hersheypark expanded even more to include bowling alleys, a tennis court, and a photography gallery. Several years later, in 1971, the park began its transformation into an official amusement park. Today, folks can ride roller coasters, swim, and have endless fun from sun up to sun down! 

Overall, Hersheypark speaks to the innovation of Hershey, the company that knows no limits. Hersheypark was indicative of the same creative energy that was behind the invention of those countless chocolate products, including the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar. 

Hershey’s Chocolate Timeline

Long before the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar had been released, Hershey had already established its reputation with countless delicious sweets.

The company’s first product was Hershey’s cocoa, with the original cocoa tin displaying a baby in a cocoa pod that was formally dubbed the Cocoa Bean Baby. 

The famous milk chocolate bar was officially created in 1900 through lots of trial and error. At the time, the recipe for milk chocolate was closely guarded by the Swiss, and therefore the company had to do a lot of experimentation to get the flavor and texture just right. 

Hershey’s Kisses were first released seven years later in 1907. Back then, the small candies actually used to have to be wrapped by hand. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Considering 70 million Hershey’s Kisses are made on a daily basis, this would have been no small feat! Perhaps, impossible! 

Hershey and World War II

Hershey did more than release products to the general public. Interestingly, the company produced a snack called Field Ration D. during the Second World War! So as you can see, this company has no boundaries! 

Essentially, this was a ration bar that was able to withstand tropical heat without melting, and thus was a practical food item for soldiers to have on hand in an emergency during combat. 

In fact, it was intentionally made unsweet so that soldiers would be tempted to eat it as a snack as it was meant to be consumed during emergency situations only. Brilliant. 

This was thanks to Captain Paul Logan from the office of the U.S. Army Quartermaster General, who was involved with the experimental production of the ration bar. 

During initial taste tests, the captain set his standards straight away: the bar should weigh no more than four ounces, be able to withstand high temperature, be high in calories to increase energy value, and of course, taste just slightly better than a boiled potato!  

The Name Game

Despite the long list of Hershey’s products, none are quite as unique as the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar. 

When it was released in 1978, the candy bar immediately stood out for its eccentric name. Out of 100 possible options generated by the marketing team at Hershey, the staff eventually chose Whatchamacallit due to its catchy, unique, and fun quality. 

Ultimately, they wanted to come up with something that was almost as fun to say as it was to eat — and they succeeded! 

Although it might appear like a somewhat vague choice of words, the selection of the title “Whatchamacallit” was evidently quite a clever decision, as it now serves as one of the most memorable product names in the Hershey repertoire. 

Indeed, the name was intended as a play on words, based on how often folks forget the names of certain items and instead say something vague in its place, such as “Hey, hand me the whatchamacallit.” 

Now, this silly, offhand remark refers to the name of a brand that rose to great popularity and remains highly coveted to this day. 

Although it’s no longer advertised on television and can be quite difficult to find sometimes, nonetheless, it’s still widely available! Luckily, Candy Retailer always makes it easy to purchase this beloved candy bar!   

Introducing the Limited-Edition Thingamajig

Evidently, Hershey stuck with this quirky naming strategy. In 2009, the company began producing a similar, limited-edition candy bar called the Thingamajig. Initially, the Thingamajig might appear similar to the Whatchamacallit thanks to the familiar chocolatey exterior. 

However, on the inside, the Thingamajig had a cocoa crisp layer with peanut butter instead of the peanut crisp found in the Whatchamacallit. 

In the beginning, sales of the Thingamajig were high, but this was likely due to what was deemed “curiosity sales,” with people only purchasing the bar right around its time of release so they could compare the differences between the Thingamajig and the Whatchamacallit. 

Unfortunately, production of the Thingamajig officially ceased in 2012, unable to stand the test of time like its sibling candy.

Following a taste test, one fan joked, “The peanut butter and caramel taste of the Whatchamacallit just works better than the chocolate crispies in the Thingamajig. Though the Thingamajig is a little softer, so maybe it’ll go easier on old people’s dentures.” Another wrote, “Caramel is king. The Whatchamacallit still reigns supreme.”

Whoozeewhatzit: A Modern Chocolate Twist 

Despite the short-lived Thingamajig, Hershey did not give up on releasing other products with strange names. In fact, as recently as 2021, the company introduced the Whozeewhatzit, a new bar that’s also under the Whatchamacallit brand.

The candy is a more modern version of the many ingredients found in the Thingamajig bar of 2009, including an additional peanut butter cream layer, cocoa crisps, and crisped rice, all covered in a chocolatey candy exterior. 

Instead of relying on the ad agency team at Hershey to come up with the name for this new candy bar, the Whatchamacallit brand reached out to fans and asked them to submit their most wacky, crazy, and creative ideas for the bar. 

This time, the stakes were a bit higher – the winner who came up with the chosen name would receive a payment of $5,000 and a year’s supply of Whozeewhatzits. 

The company ended up receiving over 43,000 entries from fans across the world before deciding upon the title “Whozeewhatzit,” the lucky winner being a woman named Lisa from Framingham, Massachusetts.

So, What Does The Whatchamacallit Taste Like? 

If you’ve never tried the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar before, trying to capture it in words simply won’t do it justice. However, there are countless testimonials online from fans of the Hershey Company who simply can’t get enough of this classic, inventive chocolate bar. 

Some recommend the Whatchamacallit when craving something sweet and salty at the same time, which the combination of chocolate and peanuts can certainly help satisfy. 

It has a slightly crunchy consistency due to the peanut-butter flavored crisp found within, and the caramel adds extra sweetness and chewy texture. 

And for those who were around during the time of the original bar’s release, eating the candy was deemed to be an extremely nostalgic experience in and of itself. As of today, the experience remains the same! 

The Whatchamacallit Legacy

Besides being a delicious snack, The Whatchamacallit Candy Bar is just one example of how the Hershey Company became such a globally recognized company!  

Something as seemingly simple as chocolate, peanuts, and caramel made headlines due to its creative name and the fact that fans from all around the world got to act as the creative masterminds behind the sweet treat. 

As time goes on, it’s clear that Hershey’s history is still being written. Nonetheless, the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar was a pivotal point in the company’s history, and a strong signal of the innovation yet to come! 

Homemade Whatchamacallit Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

If your mouth is drooling from simply reading this article, see below for a homemade peanut butter pie recipe from Miss In The Kitchen.  

Discover how she incorporates the irresistible combination of chocolate, peanuts, and caramel found in the Whatchamacallit Candy Bar to create something just as magical.  

The Whatchamacallit can be found in countless recipes for various treats including cookies, cheesecake, and cupcakes, but none are quite like this unique pie recipe.

So keep in mind, when that sweet tooth hits, this is the perfect treat to satisfy your every craving! Check it out to see for yourself… 

Also, this pie recipe is great for beginners — simple and quick to make, plus no baking required!

✓ ACTIVE PREP TIME: 10 minutes

✓ INACTIVE TIME: 4 hours

✓ TOTAL TIME: 4 hours and 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup peanut butter

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 3 1.6 oz Whatchamacallit Candy Bars, coarsely chopped

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

• 1 graham cracker pie crust

• sweetened whipped cream for garnish

• ¼ cup caramel sauce for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, add whipping cream to a chilled mixer bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Then, place the mixture in the refrigerator to cool.

In a mixer bowl, add cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Mix these ingredients until the texture becomes smooth and well combined. Next, fold in the chopped Whatchamacallit candy bars and whipped cream.

Finally, pour the mixture into the pie crust and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Feel free to garnish the pie with extra sweetened whipped cream and caramel sauce!

Potential Whatchamacallit Recipe Variations

Lastly, Instead of a graham cracker crust, you could replace it with a chocolate cookie crust!

Change up the candy bars by adding Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, or Hershey’s Chocolate Bars along with a Whatchamacallit Candy Bar! 

Also, don’t forget to add a layer of melted chocolate to the crust before adding the pie filling! Sounds amazing, right? We couldn’t agree more! 

With all this in mind, it’s now time to wrap it up so that you can start creating your own Whatchamacallit Peanut Butter Pie! Not only will your friends and family be blown away, but we think you’ll be just as impressed. 

To score a box of Whatchamacallit Candy Bars, simply CLICK HERE and you’ll be redirected to our product page where you can make magic happen! 

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave your comments, thoughts, ideas, and suggestions down below! As always, we’d love to hear from you!