container: Mario Bubble Gum

Candy may be sweet and delicious, but for well over a century manufacturers have sought to enhance its appeal by packaging it in playful containers. In the early part of the 20th century, candy came packaged in pressed glass containers shaped like pistols or trains, forms that could become playthings after the confectionery was gone. More recently, candy manufacturers have enclosed their product in an astonishing array of molded plastic and cardboard containers that mimic toys, games, and video games or that represent popular characters, the latest movies, or celebrity athletes, among a multitude of variations. For kids and grownups alike, playful candy containers stand out on a store shelf and can inspire collecting as well as other sorts of fun. This example demonstrates one of the ways that video games have intersected with candy.