On January 10, 2026, Mars, Incorporated's Snickers officially launched its global limited-edition New Year "Interactive Game Gift Box." With "gamification" as its core design concept, a key trend in Pentawards' 2025-2026 packaging trends, the gift box quickly captured a significant share of the holiday shopping market in Europe, America, and the Asia-Pacific region. Priced at $12.99, the gift box was simultaneously launched at over 20,000 retail outlets worldwide, including Walmart and Amazon. Within three days of its launch, global sales exceeded 80,000 sets, with some online channels in North America experiencing sell-outs and restocking. First-week sales increased by 38% year-on-year.
In terms of packaging design, the gift box uses reusable metal material and incorporates elements of the classic Connect Four game. The box includes detachable game piece stickers, allowing consumers to remove them completely for interactive entertainment. A flag-shaped decoration at the neck of the box echoes the game theme, perfectly aligning with the "immersive unboxing experience" trend. The flavor combinations include three core items: classic peanut chocolate, sugar-free dark chocolate, and sea salt caramel. Available in single-serving packs and family-sized packs, with sugar-free versions accounting for 40%, precisely catering to health-conscious consumers.
The head of Mars' Global Snacks division stated that this limited-edition gift box focuses on "New Year's celebration and interaction," balancing entertainment and sustainability. The metal gift box boasts a 65% higher recycling rate than traditional paper packaging. Competitor Hershey's simultaneously launched a limited-edition New Year's chocolate gift box, employing a "bold font" design from the Pentawards trend, featuring an oversized brand logo paired with dopamine-infused colors. In its first week of launch, sales in the European market increased by 32% year-on-year, indicating that competition in the limited-edition holiday market continues to intensify.
