1960s

Youth erupted in the 60’s, and sex, drugs and rock n’roll were the (dis)order of the day.  From Swinging London to Haight-Ashbury, Mod to Mondrian, and Jimi Hendrix to Janis Joplin, music and psychedelic drugs turned people onto color.  Timothy Leary influenced the fashion scene as much as Mary Quant.  Fashion models and photographers were becoming as important as designers, and Twiggy emerged as the face of 1966.  Hot Pink, Orange, Grass Green, Lemon, and Blue were colors of the era. 

Candy enjoyed by kids in the 60’s included:

100 Grand Bar, Atomic Fire Balls, Bazooka Bubble Gum, BB Bats, Beemans gum, Big Hunk, Bit-O-Honey, Black Jack gum, Black Taffy, Boston Baked Beans, Bubble Gum Cigars, Candy Buttons, Candy Cigarettes, Candy Necklace, Caramel Squares, Carmel Creams, Charleston Chews, Charms, Cherry Mash, Chick-o-Sticks, Chiclets, Chuckles, Chunky, Dots, French Chew (Bonomo's Turkish Taffy replacement), Hot Dog Gum, Indian Brand Pumpkin Seeds, Jaw Breakers, Jelly Nougats, Jujubes, Jujyfruits, Junior Mints, Kits, Lemonheads, Long Boys, Necco Wafers, Nestle Crunch, Nik-L-Nips (wax syrup bottles), Now & Laters, Pay Day, Peanut Butter Bars, Peppermint stick, Planter's Peanut Bar, Red Hots, Root Beer Barrels, Saf-T-Pops, Sixlets, Sky Bar, Slap Stix, Smarties, Sour Fruit Balls, Sugar Baby, Sugar Daddy, Swedish Fish, Sweet & Sour Pops, Tootsie Pops, Tootsie Roll, Walnettos, Wax Lips, Whoppers, Zagnut.

1970s

The recession of the 1970s brought a retreat into safe, sober earth colors, and the dreaded "A" word of both fashion and interior designers -avocado- had the American consumer in a full nelson, especially in the kitchen. African-Americans became more aware of their heritage and adopted native African patterns and colors, which were, again, earth tones. Disco was crowned king, and in the fashion world, no one was hotter than Halston, with his luxurious Ultrasuede® pantsuits and decadent Studio 54 lifestyle.  Avocado, Burnt Sierra, carafe, Harvest Gold and Rust were the rave of the 70’s.

Favorite candies of the 70’s kids were:

Abba Zaba, Atomic Fire Balls, Bazooka Bubble Gum, BB Bats, Beemans gum, Big Hunk, Bit-O-Honey, Black Jack gum, Black Taffy, Blow Pop, Boston Baked Beans, Bottle Caps, Bubble Gum Cigars, Butterfingers, Candy Buttons, Candy Cigarettes, Candy Necklace, Caramel Squares, Carmel Creams, Charleston Chews, Charms, Chick-o-Sticks, Chuckles, Chunky, Chupa Chups, Cinnamon Bear, Cow Tales, Dots, French Chew (Bonomo's Turkish Taffy replacement), Gobstoppers, Hot Dog Gum, Jaw Breakers, Jujubes, Jujyfruits, Kits, Laffy Taffy, Lemonheads, Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip, Lollies, Mike & Ike, Necco Wafers, Nik-L-Nips (wax syrup bottles), Now & Laters, Peppermint stick, Pixy Stix, Pop Rocks, Rainblo gum, Razzles, Red Hots, Root Beer Barrels, Runts, Saf-T-Pops, Sixlets, Smarties, Spree, Sugar Daddy, Swedish Fish, Sweet & Sour Pops, Giant Sweetarts, Tootsie Roll, U-No, Wax Lips, Zotz Sours.

1980s

The economic upturn of the '80s heralded a return to vibrant color. Christian Lacroix and Jean-Paul Gaultier's extravagant fashion cacophonies validated flamboyant color at the highest taste level, and women flooded the workforce with glamour, sporting big Dynasty-inspired shoulders and hair.

With the advent of MTV, kids saw and mimicked what pop stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna were wearing. Following Brooke Shields's provocative commercial for Calvin Klein jeans, supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista emerged as the seraphim of fashion. Nancy Reagan's signature red became popular, later giving way to Barbara Bush blue. Toward the end of the decade, Giorgio Armani's sophisticated neutrals provided Yuppies with a quieter alternative to all-out glitz.

Meanwhile, in the home, designers flipped the color chart for consumers who had OD'd on avocado and spice tones, and America became mad for mauve.

80’s kids remember these fun treats;

Abba Zaba, Appleheads, Atomic Fire Balls, Baby Ruth, Bazooka Bubble Gum, Big Hunk, Bit-O-Honey, Blow Pop, Boston Baked Beans, Bottle Caps, Bubblicious, Butterfingers, Candy Buttons, Candy Cigarettes, Candy Necklace, Candy Watch, Caramel Squares, Charleston Chews, Charms, Cherryheads, Chick-o-Sticks, Chuckles, Chunky, Chupa Chups, Cinnamon Bear, Cow Tales, French Chew, Gobstoppers, Hot Dog Gum, Hot Tamales, Jaw Breakers, Jolly Ranchers, Laffy Taffy, Lemonheads, Fun Dip, Lollies, Mike & Ike, Necco Wafers, Nerds, Nestle Crunch, Now & Laters, Pixy Stix, Pop Rocks, Rainblo gum, Razzles, Red Hots, Ring Pops, Root Beer Barrels, Runts, Sixlets, Skittles, Smarties, Sour Patch Kids, Spree, Starburst, Sugar Daddy, Swedish Fish, Sweet & Sour Pops, Sweetarts, Tangy Taffy, Tootsie Roll, Warheads, Wax Lips, Whistle Pops, Zotz Sours.

1990s

The economic downturn at the end of the '80s became an opening for the dirtied colors of Seattle's "grunge" movement in the early 1990s. In the middle of the decade, the digital revolution with its promise of outrageous amounts of money was reflected in the eye-popping colors of the iMac®. Urban street styles, body piercing and tattooing became mainstream among young culture. Green, a color that became important with the environmental movement of the '60s, hit its vibrant zenith in the '90s with lime green and chartreuse.

Minimalism became a strong influence at the end of the '90s, as evidenced by Jil Sander's fashions and Calvin Klein's Zen-influenced home collections. As the dotcoms began to crumble and the Millennium Bug threatened, people were feeling the need to stop and escape. Spas boomed and designer water abounded. Colors of the millennium were overcast, lead gray, bright chartreuse, lemon, firecracker and scuba blue.

Kids of the 90’s enjoyed:           

Astro Pops Sour, Whirly Pop, Bosco Blue Berry, Wonka Chocolate/Graham Bar, 100 Grand Bar, Whatchamacallit, Laffy Taffy Sparkling Cherry, Ice Cube, Astro Pop Banana Split, Mamba, Nerds Rope, Now & Later Green Tingleberry, Symphony Bar, Candy Cigarettes, Smarties, Tootsie Roll Twisties, Wonka Runts, Sixlets, Big League Chew, Bubblicious Blue Blowout, Rock Candy, Alien Sour Meteorite, Candy Blox, Candy Stampers, Cry Baby Tears, Jolly Rancher Cherry, Lotsa Fizz, Wonka Gobstopper, Magic Pops Grape, Lik-M-Aid, Candy Fruit (2), Candy Lipstick. 

2000s

The minimalist influence continued into the new century. Today, big ticket items have retreated into neutral or deeper colors, but it is the perfect time to bring touches of color into the home with accessories and small appliances, allowing consumers to enjoy color without spending a great deal. Yet neutral does not equal boring - all grays, beiges and taupes are not created equal, and even white has hundreds of subtle variations.