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Combos

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For other uses, see Combo.
Combos
TypeSnack
Region or stateNorth America
Created byMars, Incorporated
Invented1980s; 43 years ago (1980s)

Combos, officially called Combos Stuffed Snacks, are cylindrical tubes of cracker, pretzel, or tortilla, available with various fillings.

History

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Combos Snacks, created in the early 1980s, are a snack food distributed by Mars, Incorporated, and sold throughout North America.[1] Though the pretzel form was produced first, Combos were first released in cracker form.[clarification needed] They are also available with tortilla shells.

In mid-June 2016, some varieties of Combos were affected by an undeclared nut-related recall.[2]

Production

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Combos are produced by forming a soft bread-like dough, which is hollowed out into a tube-shaped form. A cutter slices the dough into bite-sized lengths. The snacks are then baked, cooled, and filled with the appropriate filling.

Flavors

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Cheddar Cheese Baked Cracker Combos

Combos are available in six standard flavors:[3]

  • Cheddar Cheese Pretzel
  • Pizzeria Pretzel
  • Pepperoni Pizza Cracker
  • Cheddar Cheese Cracker
  • Buffalo Blue Cheese Pretzel
  • Nacho Cheese Pretzel

They also offer several limited edition or exclusive flavors:

  • Honey Sriracha Pretzel
  • Spicy Honey Mustard Pretzel
  • Jalapeño Cheddar
  • Cheddar Cheese Bacon Pretzel (Walgreens exclusive)
  • Sweet Barbeque Baked Cracker (Walgreens exclusive)
  • Garlic Parmesan Baked Cracker

Discontinued flavors include:

  • Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Cracker
  • Cheeseburger Cracker
  • Mustard Pretzel
  • Zesty Salsa Tortilla
  • Peanut Butter Pretzel
  • Peanut Butter Cracker
  • Seven Layer Dip Tortilla
  • Sweet & Salty Caramel Crème Pretzel
  • Sweet & Salty Vanilla Frosting Pretzel

Advertising

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In 2006, Combos worked with TBWA and Agency.com to create the Man Mom campaign,[4][5] and in 2008, Combos worked with Agency.com to create the Combos Nation campaign. Combos was an official sponsor of Kyle Busch, NASCAR driver of the number 18 Toyota Camry, whose car featured other Mars, Incorporated products as well. Busch won the 2008 Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks with Combos as the primary sponsor of his car. [6] It is the official cheese-filled snack of NASCAR.[7]

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  • In 1995, Marvel Comics collaborated with Combos to create a series of advertisements featuring "Combo Man", a superhero who was a combination of 14 other Marvel characters. Combo Man would get a one-shot comic book one year later. [8][9]
  • The 2000 Morphine song "Top Floor Bottom Buzzer" on the album The Night contains the lines, "There's a muchacha, teachin' me to mambo. There's my buddy Pete eyein' a bowl of Combos."
  • Rodney Rush played the character of Christian "Combo" Ortega on the show Breaking Bad, named after the snack.
  • Comedian and actor Aziz Ansari references the snack in his 2015 book Modern Romance: An Investigation, saying, "Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favorite snack foods? Combos!!?"[10]
  • The snack was featured on a February 2020 episode of the Bon Appétit YouTube channel series Gourmet Makes with Claire Saffitz.[11]
  • Combos were discussed on episode #164 on the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend.[12]
  • A Combos conspiracy theory was discussed on episode #91 on the podcast Amerikinda with Cory and Travis.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Pederson, Jay P. (1998). International directory of company histories. St. James Press. p. 528. ISBN 1-55862-363-9.
  2. ^ "Combos snack recall: What you need to know". al.com. 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-07-01.
  3. ^ "COMBOS® Stuffed Snacks - Mars Chocolate North America Press Kit". Mars Chocolate North America Press Kit. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  4. ^ "2007 Creativity Award Winner: Combos "Man Mom" Campaign - The Creativity Awards". Creativity Online. 2007-05-14. Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  5. ^ "Combo Snacks: What Your Mom Would Feed You If Your Mom Were A Man". Adpunch. 2007-05-25. Archived from the original on 2011-03-07. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  6. ^ "NASCAR Daily News Headlines * June 3, 2008". Insiderracingnews.com. 2008-06-03. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  7. ^ Official Release (2008-12-22). "Mars' multiyear contract extends NASCAR brand - Dec 22, 2008". Nascar.Com. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  8. ^ Cronin, Brian (2022-03-05). "Combo Man Was Every Marvel Hero Combined... Because of Snack Food". CBR. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  9. ^ McGuire, Liam (2021-02-24). "Marvel's Combo Superhero Makes Surprise Cameo In Different Comic Universe". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  10. ^ Ansari, Aziz. "Modern Romance". AzizAnsari.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Pastry Chef Attempts to Make Gourmet Combos | Bon Appétit". Youtube. 2020-02-25. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  12. ^ Team Coco (2022-02-03). Conan Goes Off On A Tangent About Combos Pretzels | Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Retrieved 2024-10-30 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Amerikinda #91: Catching a Case of Diarrhea Lung with Amber Watson, 2024-03-25, retrieved 2024-10-30
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