Sweethearts Candies is sending a “sweet-and-desist” open letter to all social media platforms sweetly requesting the discontinuation of the use of the heart as a “like” button.
The cheeky message states that the like button has lost its meaning and that Sweethearts is going to reinstate the value of sharing “like” with the world.
The sweet-and-desist suggests a new button that better describes what people mean when they tap it, including a “heard” button, a “seen” button, and a “cool story bro” button, among others.
The message kicks off a social media movement by Sweethearts based on survey data the brand collected that found that 78% of Gen Z respondents would rather get an actual Sweethearts candy heart from a friend or loved one in real life (IRL) than a digital heart on a social media post.
83% say getting a real-life “like” in the form of a candy heart expresses affection more.
The iconic, 121-year-old candy brand, Sweethearts Candies, which was acquired by Spangler in 2018 and re-released in 2020, is launching an expanded social media presence this Valentine’s season on Instagram and TikTok to spread its message of sharing IRL “likes” by giving Sweethearts—the original “like”—to loved ones.
For more information about Sweethearts’ IRL Like Movement, visit sweetanddesist.com.