MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® Brand Candies Teamed Up with Paul George to Introduce A New Line Up of NBA 2K17 Promotional Packages for Basketball's Big Weekend in New Orleans

BETHLEHEM, Pa., Feb. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Just Born Quality Confections, the makers of MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES®, teamed up with four-time NBA All Star Paul George in New Orleans to promote the highest-rated annual sports game   – NBA 2K17 – and introduce its new limited-edition promotional packaging⁽¹⁾ . The exciting partnership delivers highly sought after locker codes inside each package of MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits, HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon, and new MIKE AND IKE® 3 Point Mix.

Paul George, NBA 2K17 and basketball fans alike inspired MIKE AND IKE® to release the new, limited edition MIKE AND IKE® 3 Point Mix. The new, sweet mix brings together the delicious flavors of cherry, orange and grape, and will hit shelves starting in March 2017.

To get fans excited, Paul George also answered fan questions through the MIKE AND IKE® Snapchat account @MikeandIkeSnaps and HOT TAMALES® Instagram account @hottamalescandy.

Just Born Quality Confections, the maker of the MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® brands, announced the partnership with 2K Sports at the launch of NBA 2K17. As part of the partnership, Just Born is sweetening up the virtual gaming experience with a new product, game enhancements and a special weekend appearance by four-time NBA All-Star and NBA 2K17 featured cover athlete, Paul George.

"The partnership with 2K Sports was a natural fit for both the MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® brands since we know a lot of our fans are gamers, plus, basketball is one of the top sports enjoyed by both our male and female fan base," said Brian Bachrach, MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® Business Team Director at Just Born Quality Confections.  "When we heard Paul George was a huge fan of MIKE AND IKE®, we decided to develop a fun fan experience with him in addition to our role as the Sweet Game Partner for NBA 2K17!"

The partnership will continue to gain momentum in 2017 with custom product on shelf in March including valuable locker codes inside specially marked MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® theater box packaging to redeem within the game.

• MIKE AND IKE® Original Fruits will allow players to unlock a "Three Game Sweet Streak," good for a three game attribute boost within the game.
• HOT TAMALES® Fierce Cinnamon will allow players to unlock a "Three Game Hot Streak," good for a three game attribute boost within the game.
• MIKE AND IKE® 3 Point Mix will allow players to unlock an extended "Five Game Streak," good for a five game attribute boost within the game.

For more information and to join the conversation on social media, please visit MIKE AND IKE® using @MikeandIke on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow @MikeandIkeSnaps on SnapChat. Visit HOT TAMALES® using @HotTamalesCandy on Facebook and Instagram and @HotTamalesBrand on Twitter. Beginning March 13, 2017, fans can visit MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® Twitter and Instagram channels to enter the #SweetGameFace sweepstakes for the chance to win a sweet NBA 2K17 themed prize pack. Visit sweetgameface.com for details.

About Just Born Quality Confections:
Just Born Quality Confections is a third-generation family-owned company that has grown into the 9th largest candy company in the U.S. Just Born is the maker of some of America's most beloved and iconic brands – PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and GOLDENBERG'S® PEANUT CHEWS®. In 1923, the founder, Sam Born, opened a small candy-making and retail store in Brooklyn, New York, where he marketed the freshness of his daily-made candy with a sign that declared, "Just Born." Together with Born's brothers-in-law, Irv and Jack Shaffer, the company thrived in spite of the economic depression of the 1930s and, in 1932, moved its operations to Bethlehem, PA, which is still home to their iconic candy brands. All Just Born candies are proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information, please visit www.justborn.com and see the breadth of candy and high-quality branded items at www.peepsandcompany.com. Follow us: facebook.com/JustBornInc, twitter.com/JustBornInc.

About 2K:
Founded in 2005, 2K develops and publishes interactive entertainment globally for console systems, handheld gaming systems and personal computers, including smartphones and tablets, which are delivered through physical retail, digital download, online platforms and cloud streaming services. 2K publishes titles in today's most popular gaming genres, including shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, sports, casual, and family entertainment. The 2K label has some of the most talented development studios in the world today, including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, and Cat Daddy Games. 2K's stable of high quality titles includes the critically acclaimed BioShock®, Borderlands™, Mafia, and XCOM® franchises, the beloved Sid Meier's Civilization series, Evolve™, Battleborn®, the popular WWE 2K franchise and NBA 2K, the highest rated* annual sports title of this console generation.

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). For more information, please visit www.2k.com.

⁽¹⁾   According to 2008 – 2016 Metacritic.com

SOURCE Just Born Quality Confections