The Vitamin Shoppe launches limited edition Peeps-flavored protein powder

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Hoping to make the taste of sweetened marshmallows feel guilt-free, The Vitamin Shoppe’s best-selling sports nutrition brand is launching a Peeps-flavored protein powder.

Available through June at the Secaucus-based health and wellness retailer’s 700-plus locations nationwide and online, Peeps x BodyTech whey protein isolate comes in two flavors: marshmallow and chocolate marshmallow.

The springtime release was timed to coincide with the most popular time of year for Peeps candy. While the treat comes in a variety of special editions for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, the brand is most well known for its bunny- and chick-shaped marshmallow friends that pop up in stores before Easter.

The collaboration comes a few months after The Vitamin Shoppe partnered with Warner Bros. to launch a collection of sports nutrition products inspired by superheroes and villains of the DC Universe. The retailer also recently teamed up with caffeinated drink mix G Fuel for flavors based on popular gaming and anime characters. 

Muriel Gonzalez, chief merchandising and marketing officer of The Vitamin Shoppe, told NJBIZ, “As sports nutrition becomes more popular, new customers to the category have high expectations for flavor and flavor innovation since their palates are less adjusted to fitness products than a legacy customer. As a result of flavor’s importance in sports nutrition, brands have leveraged licensing deals with some of the most popular brands for anyone with a sweet tooth.”

“These collaborations boost brand equity and recognition with the customer, confidence in the brands’ flavoring, excitement and store traffic, both online and digital. We chose our collaboration with Peeps because it’s the most popular and recognizable candy during the Easter season. Not to mention they taste amazing and we knew our customers would love it,” she explained.

“When BodyTech x Peeps launched, it immediately became one of our top selling BodyTech Whey Isolate flavors. We learned how powerful the Peeps branding could be with the great response we’ve gotten from our customers. And that timing is everything, having these products hit at just the right time during a season when Peeps is talked about the most was a key to success,” Gonzalez continued.

It’s also the latest brand mashup for Peeps. The candy – which is owned by Bethlehem, Pa.-headquartered Just Born Quality Confections – has been busy in recent years, expanding into the licensed consumer product market through partnerships with brands like Oreo, Pepsi and Duncan Hines, as well as deals with Sally Hansen nail polish, Katy Perry’s footwear collection and Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Peeps X BodyTech contains 25 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of sugar per serving and can be purchased in a 1.5 pound canister for $39.99 or a three-pound size for $64.99.