Tuesday, March 18, 2014

From the Candy Aisle: Nestle Go Ahead bars

Product: Go Ahead
Company: Nestle
Years: 1977-198?

Here's another candy bar from the list (I'm pretty sure there's a list, you guys) of candy bars that that couldn't quite get a foothold into the grand lexicon of the candy industry. For every Snickers and Three Musketeers, there are hundreds, even thousands, or maybe six candy bars that came and went, like a wonderful chocolate fantasy passing in the night. So today we take a quick look at Nestle's Go Ahead Bar.


The Go Ahead Bar was a made of Chocolate, crunchy crisps (think Rice Krispies) and Peanut Butter.
But it wasn't just fattening delicious candy, it was "Fortified with 19 Essential Vitamins and Minerals". That's why I'd eat 4 in one sitting, so I could get 76 Essential Vitamins and minerals (I know, I'd really only be getting 4x of each of those vitamins and minerals, not really 76 different ones, but you just shut up about it already, Steve.)


Image By Jason Liebig

These bars don't seem to have been around for very long, 4 or 5 years tops. Part of the reason was that they were a little more expensive (possibly due to falling into the "nutrition bar" category), so people would often opt for the cheaper bars. And because of all you cheapskates, this bar was sadly pulled from the shelves. They rounded up the bars and put them in boxes, then took them out back and stabbed them. That or they just marked them down and put them on the clearance rack. Not sure.


So that's it for today. I wish I knew more about these bars, and one day I may march over to Nestle headquarters and demand to speak with the person responsible for discontinuing the Go Ahead Bar. I'll handcuff myself to the sofa in the lobby, and chant "BRING BACK GO AHEAD" (which actually doesn't make ANY sense out of context). I'll sit there, for days if needed, until I get some answers for all you Gone but Not Forgotten Grocery Fans.

And then after security escorts me from the building, I'll probably just go to the gas station and get a Snickers.
After all, they are cheaper.
 
















13 comments:

  1. Don't recall if I ever actually had one of these, although I do remember the commercial quite well. It was only after I saw it a few times that I realized that it was an Abbott and Costello take-off.

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  2. I LOVED these as a child. I purchased on of these every day after school. I was hoping there was some place where I could buy these again. I'd like for my children to try these too!!!

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  3. I remember these candy bars, they were my favorite

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  4. They were my favorite candy bar of all time! Even 40 years later I'm still dreaming and wishing they'd bring them back.

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  5. Loved these, and my mom helped me write a letter to the company begging them to start making them again - or at least send me a case of them that I was sure they hidden somewhere!

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  6. This was one of the brands I worked on when I was at Leo Burnett Advertising on the Nestle account. A great tasting candy bar, but the concept was vitamin fortified, which didn't really work for candy. I suggested on a few occasions to forget the vitamins and just launch as a great tasting candy bar, but to no avail. At the time Nest headquarters in White Planes (don't know if they're still there or not), they kept large glass bowls filled with mini-candy bars in the hallways. I asked why Go Ahead was never in the bowls and was told by the VP Marketing it was because they emptied the bowls too quickly when Go Ahead was in them. Should have told them something about how people liked them!

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  7. I grabbed one of those every day while out delivering the evening paper. They were my favorite. Much better than Reese's. I would buy them still if I found them on a store shelf.

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  8. I remember these they were my favorite to this day I check to see if by some chance they came back with them as retro candy

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  9. These were my absolute favorite candy bar. My kids ask me what my favorite candy bar is and I say whatchamacallit, but there was this Go Ahead bar when I was a kid....I wish Nestle would do a comeback on this one, people would embrace the vitamins now!

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  10. These were my absolute favorite candy bar. My kids ask me what my favorite candy bar is and I say whatchamacallit, but there was this Go Ahead bar when I was a kid....I wish Nestle would do a comeback on this one, people would embrace the vitamins now!

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  11. Best candy bar ever!! Wish they would bring it back!

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  12. Yeah my dad would buy these by the case for me. I think they faded around 1984-85. The TV commercials for the candy bar were neat.

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