Put a tub of Celebrations next to a tub of Heroes and the first thing you notice is how similar the idea is: miniature chocolates, a shareable tub, a lid you can never quite get back on properly. The second thing you notice, once you start unwrapping, is how differently each brand solved the same problem.
Celebrations shrinks bars that already exist
Mars Wrigley launched Celebrations in the UK in 1997 as a tub built entirely from miniature versions of bars already on the shelf: Twix, Bounty, Snickers, Mars, Milky Way, Galaxy, Maltesers and Galaxy Caramel. Because every piece is a scaled-down version of a standalone product, you always know exactly what you're getting — a mini Bounty tastes like a Bounty, just smaller.
Heroes was built from Cadbury's own range, not shrunk from a rival's
Cadbury launched Heroes in 1999, two years after Celebrations, as its answer in the tub format. Rather than shrinking someone else's bars, Heroes draws on Cadbury's own chocolate stable — Dairy Milk, Twirl, Wispa, Fudge, Crunchie and Caramel have all featured. The line-up has shifted more over the years than Celebrations' has, with bars like Toffee Finger and Dinky Deckers coming and going while Celebrations' eight bars have stayed largely fixed since launch.
It's really Mars vs Cadbury, not just two Christmas tubs
Both tubs now dominate the UK's Christmas confectionery shelves alongside Quality Street. Because Mars and Cadbury don't share products, the two tubs will never actually overlap — if you're a Twix person you're in Celebrations territory, and if you're a Twirl person you're in Heroes territory, whichever tub is in the cupboard.
- Celebrations — Mars Wrigley, launched 1997, miniatures of Twix, Bounty, Snickers, Mars, Milky Way, Galaxy, Maltesers and Galaxy Caramel.
- Heroes — Cadbury (Mondelez), launched 1999, miniatures of Dairy Milk, Twirl, Wispa, Fudge, Crunchie and a rotating cast of others.
You'll find both, along with the full-size versions of most of the bars inside them, in our chocolate collection and our dedicated Cadbury range.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Celebrations and Heroes?
Celebrations shrinks existing Mars bars like Twix and Bounty. Heroes uses miniature versions of Cadbury's own bars, such as Twirl and Wispa, rather than a rival's line-up.
Who makes Celebrations and who makes Heroes?
Celebrations is made by Mars Wrigley, launched in 1997. Heroes is made by Cadbury, part of Mondelez, launched in 1999.
Which chocolates are in Celebrations and which are in Heroes?
Celebrations includes mini Mars, Galaxy, Twix, Bounty, Snickers, Milky Way, Maltesers and Galaxy Caramel. Heroes includes Dairy Milk, Twirl, Wispa, Fudge, Crunchie and Caramel, with more rotation over the years.