Swon Brothers Fuel Competition Between TWIX Cookie Bars

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Swon Brothers – Zach and Colton – two of country music's brightest rising stars who recently signed with Arista Nashville, have been performing together for years.  But this week, they accepted a challenge that put them on opposite sides of the stage – and the TWIX® Brand rivalry. Zach released a special jingle for Left TWIX, while sibling Colton shared a theme song for Right TWIX. Now, it's up to fans everywhere to help "pick a side" between these clashing confections and their equally sweet songs.

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Zach and Colton debuted the tunes Tuesday to a room full of adoring fans at B.B. King's in Nashville, Tenn., and now the brothers are competing for bragging rights as they find out which will entice more people to choose their TWIX-themed songs. Fans can watch the Swon Brothers engage in some spirited banter about Left TWIX and Right TWIX, which culminates in a sing-off on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT_L7nkIZQ8. At the end of the video, viewers will be asked to pick a side, which may be trickier than it sounds since both songs are almost as identical as the chocolate-covered cookie bars they salute.

Zach Swon saw this jingle writing competition as the perfect opportunity to decide which Swon brother is truly superior. He said, "Left TWIX is always on the cutting edge of marketing so it wasn't surprising that they selected me to write something special for them." Meanwhile, Colton Swon countered, "Right TWIX is known as the more innovative cookie bar so it made sense that they would look to the real creative genius in the Swon family to write their song."

"The Swon Brothers fully embraced the rivalry between Left TWIX and Right TWIX as they took to the stage singing in support of their side," said Roy Benin, Chief Consumer Officer, Mars Chocolate North America. "Their competition was so believable that – just as the 'uniquely' different cookie bars only share a wrapper – the crowd thought that the only thing bringing the country duo together was a last name."

Since July 2012, the world has been watching as the friendly rivalry between Left and Right TWIX has unfolded through a series of TV and online ads. It's a simple story of two factories with two different philosophies, making two identical cookie bars. Right TWIX is cascaded with caramel and cloaked in chocolate, while Left TWIX is flowed with caramel and bathed in chocolate. Consumers are asked to "Try them both and Pick a Side." 

To learn more about the rivalry between Left TWIX and Right TWIX, visit the TWIX YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TwixVideos or check out the Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/twix.us.

About Mars Chocolate North America
Mars Chocolate North America is the North American chocolate operations of Mars, Incorporated.  In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and CESAR®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints.  Food –UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA ^® Coffee Roasters coffee,  THE BRIGHT TEA CO.^® tea, DOVE^®/GALAXY^® Hot Chocolate, and FLAVIA^® brewer; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™, WISDOM PANEL™ and SERAMIS®. 

For more information, please visit www.mars.com.  Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.

About Swon Brothers
Arista Nashville recording artists, The Swon Brothers remember their first performance in Nashville, TN like it was yesterday. It wasn't in a packed house during a writers' night on a dimly-lit stage, or in the office of a publisher who was eager to hear their latest songs. It was actually a "pit stop" on the way to a family vacation in Florida. Of course, they were only 8 and 11 years old at the time, but to them, it was perfectly normal. Recently the brothers from Muskogee, OK, who captured the hearts of America with their sibling harmonies and witty personalities, were honored with the Rising Star award by the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and have been increasingly busy since their time on The Voice, touring steadily and making numerous appearances, including playing the halftime show at a recent Arizona Cardinals/Detroit Lions game and singing at the 2013 Warrior Open golf tournament in Dallas for an audience that included former President George W. Bush.  They also enjoyed a rare treat during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., when Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), from their home state, gave them a private tour of the U.S. Capitol before their performance at the Susan G. Komen Honoring The Promise Benefit Concert the following evening. The Swon Brothers plan to release their debut album on Arista Nashville in early 2014.

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America