Most sweets that become genuinely famous get there through decades of advertising. Reese's Pieces got there through a single film, and a rival's decision to say no.
A peanut butter candy, not a chocolate one
It's easy to assume Reese's Pieces are a chocolate sweet because of the Reese's name, but they're not chocolate-coated at all. Each piece is a peanut butter centre - the same flavour Reese's built its Peanut Butter Cups around - encased in a hard, brightly coloured candy shell. The format is closer to M&M's than to a chocolate button, but the flavour inside is pure peanut butter.
The Mars deal that never happened
When Steven Spielberg's production team was making E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in the early 1980s, they wanted a well-known candy for Elliott to use to coax the alien out of hiding. Mars, which owned M&M's, was approached first and turned the offer down. Hershey said yes, and Reese's Pieces got the role instead - a decision Mars is generally understood to have regretted once the film became a phenomenon.
What happened after the film came out
The exposure was enormous. Reese's Pieces sales rose sharply in the weeks and months after E.T.'s release in 1982, and the film is still cited today as one of the textbook examples of product placement working exactly as intended - a candy that most audiences had barely heard of became a household name almost overnight.
A slice of American candy culture in the UK
Reese's Pieces remain a distinctly American candy, and they're part of the wider world of US confectionery that's grown a following in the UK over the last couple of decades. If you want to try them alongside other American classics, our American candy collection is the place to look.
Frequently asked questions
What are Reese's Pieces made of?
A peanut butter centre in a hard, coloured candy shell - no chocolate coating, unlike most Reese's products.
Why are Reese's Pieces linked to E.T.?
Mars turned down a request to feature M&M's in the film; Hershey agreed to use Reese's Pieces instead, and the film's success made the candy famous.
When were Reese's Pieces launched?
1978, four years before E.T. brought them to a much wider audience.