Sweethearts selling ‘Situationships’ boxes with blurry, mixed messages

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The Sweethearts Situationship Boxes are "filled entirely with sweet, muddled nothings and literal mixed messages," Spangler said. (Credit: Provided)

BRYAN, Ohio - Have you been finding yourself in a "situationship" lately? That is, a romantic or sexual relationship that’s more than friendship – but less than a committed relationship – and simply undefined.

Spangler, the maker of the iconic Sweethearts conversation candy, says it wants to encourage "confused singles" everywhere with a limited-edition release of its Situationship Boxes just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The boxes contain blurry, misprinted candies "that are as hard to read as Gen-Z relationships," Spangler said.

The Spangler candy company, behind other candies like Dum-Dums and Necco Wafers, cited research from Tinder suggesting that young singles now consider the situationship to be a legitimate relationship status. The term "situationship" even ranked in the top four terms considered for the Oxford University Press' 2023 "Word of the Year."

"Singles are taking 'situationships' to the next level this year, and Sweethearts is here for them," Evan Brock, vice president of marketing for the Ohio-based Spangler candy company, said in a statement. "The printing on Sweethearts isn't always perfect. This is our way of embracing those imperfections in a way that taps into pop culture."

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Spangler said its Sweethearts Situationship Boxes, "filled entirely with sweet, muddled nothings and literal mixed messages," will be available to buy online beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 8 at SweetheartsCandies.com.

Sweethearts, created as a brand in 1902, originally included sayings still popular today such as "Be Mine" and "Kiss Me." The iconic heart candies grew in popularity over the next several decades and were acquired by the family-owned Spangler candy company in 2018.

This story was reported from Cincinnati.