People Are Pleasantly Surprised After Learning The Story Behind Snickers’ Odd Name

Snickers is undoubtedly among the most popular chocolate bars in the world, with almost 50 million Americans consuming the nougaty treat every year. Nowadays, it is estimated that more than 15 million Snickers are produced each day. However, not every Snickers fan will know that the beloved candy bar owes its peculiar name to, well, a horse.

As the original story goes, Ethel Mars, the co-founder of what we now know as the Mars Company (originally Mar-o-Bar), had a beloved horse named Snickers. Just before their new unnamed chocolate bar went into production, the poor animal passed away. As a tribute and homage to their cherished companion, Ethel and her husband Frank decided to name their newest candy after him.

When this deliciously nutty treat made its way across the pond into UK markets in 1968, though, there was an unexpected twist. Executives felt that 'Snickers' sounded uncomfortably close to ‘knickers’, or women's undies, leading them to rename it into Marathon Bar. The name in the UK stuck until 1990 when Mars decided they want universal names for their products.

In spite of some initial resistance from fans attached to old monikers or even size changes over time; one thing remained constant - people’s love for this peanut-filled delight. To this day, not only is Snickers the best-selling candy bar in the US, but it's also the best-selling chocolate bar worldwide. According to 24/7 Wall Street, more than 400 million Snickers bars (classic 3.5 oz size) are sold per year.

Its popularity skyrocketed following the launch of an iconic advertising campaign during the 2010 Super Bowl featuring the tagline “You’re not you when you’re hungry” and starring celebrities such as Betty White and Elton John.

According to information provided by Mars Inc., the advertising campaign played a role in boosting Snickers' sales by 15.9%.