Largest PEEPS® Tree Ever Created Kicks Off One-Year Anniversary of PEEPS & COMPANY® in National Harbor, Maryland

News provided by

Dec 08, 2010, 09:36 ET

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Just Born, Inc., maker of PEEPS^®, MIKE AND IKE^®, HOT TAMALES^®, TEENEE BEANEE^® and PEANUT CHEWS^® brand candies, will celebrate the one-year anniversary of PEEPS & COMPANY^® this Holiday season at National Harbor, Maryland. The largest PEEPS^® Tree ever created is on display at ICE!, presented by the Gaylord National Resort. Open now through January 9^th, ICE! is an indoor wonderland where families experience holiday scenes created from two-million pounds of ice, including thrilling, 2 story-tall, ice slides. ICE! is hand-sculpted by 40 international artisans and kept at a chilling 9 degrees!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101208/PH14115 )

PEEPS & COMPANY^®, with the help of ZenGenius, of Columbus, Ohio, created this unique tree that will be on display inside the ICE! tent. Standing at over 20 feet, the PEEPS^® Tree took over two weeks to build and was created with undulating rows of green PEEPS^® Brand marshmallow Trees and trimmed with a variety of PEEPS^®candies that act as ornaments and garland. Beneath the tree are presents wrapped in PEEPS^® Chicks and Bunnies. Finally, the tree is crowned with a spectacular yellow star comprised of PEEPS^®Chicks.

Visitors to ICE! can pick up an entry form inside the ICE! tent and guess how many PEEPS^® were used to build this special holiday tree. The completed entry form can be dropped off at the PEEPS & Company^® retail store in National Harbor.

Karen Simonet, General Manager of the PEEPS & COMPANY^® store in National Harbor commented, "We are honored to be part of the ICE! event as we mark our store's 1-year anniversary. Our first year at PEEPS & COMPANY^® has been very successful, with visitor excitement and traffic, along with strong sales boding well for the future. The store provides an engaging experience where our fans can enjoy their favorite PEEPS^®, MIKE AND IKE^®, HOT TAMALES^®, TEENEE BEANEE^® and PEANUT CHEWS^® brands all year long including apparel, accessories, gifts and of course candy."

PEEPS & COMPANY^®, Just Born's first retail store, is located at the very center of National Harbor's dynamic main plaza. The store offers an energy filled environment immersing visitors in sight, sound and taste. As shoppers experience fun and distinct areas highlighting each iconic brand, they are also drawn in by several captivating music videos featuring historic and present day elements of Just Born and its brands. In addition to great tasting candy, PEEPS & COMPANY^®offers an array of high-quality branded items such as apparel, treats and toys.

National Harbor: Rising from the banks of the Potomac minutes from Washington D.C. and just south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Prince George's County, MD, National Harbor is a 300-acre, mixed-used development that includes five hotels, thousands of residential units, tree-lined promenades with scores of shops and offices, a marina and much more.

Just Born, Inc. is a privately owned company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, where it manufactures PEEPS^®, HOT TAMALES^®, MIKE AND IKE^®, MIKE AND IKE^® ZOURS^® and TEENEE BEANEE^® Brand Candies. PEANUT CHEWS^® Brand Candies are produced in Philadelphia, PA. All Just Born candies are made in the U.S.A.