Brach’s Is Giving Conversation Hearts a BIG Makeover This Year (and It Might Start Beef with Another Brand)

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about how you show your partner that you love them. If you want our advice? Make your life easier, and get something to do it for you – a heart shaped food, that is. That thought process has kept Brach’s Candy in the green for decades: The confectioner’s Conversation Hearts are a best-seller, mainly because they combine a heartfelt message with sugar, wrapping both up in little heart-shaped candies. Year in, year out, they’re a firm favorite for all the lovers out there.

However, Brach’s clearly knows that it can’t rest on its laurels forever – and in 2026, it’s giving Conversation Hearts the biggest shake-up yet. Brach’s has announced its all-new Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts, which are set to join its Classic option in its product line-up, and which may well introduce the candy to the next generation, as well as serving as one of the best Valentine’s Day candies you can give to the person you’re sweet on.

Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts Come in Six Flavors

Brach’s brand-new Conversation Hearts are clearly designed to appeal to Gen Z in more ways than one. These hearts come in six zippy, up-to-the-minute flavors, with Blue Raspberry and Fruit Punch in the mix, alongside Orange, Lemon-Lime, Cherry, and Pineapple. Also only somewhat outdated are the messages printed on each heart: Sayings like “QUEEN” and “YAAAS,” as well as winky-face emojis, are emblazoned across each candy. To be honest, it’s the kind of thing that could well make more cynical young people cringe, but we get the impulse behind it.

Brach’s has also made its Conversation Hearts more inclusive, with the American Sign Language symbol for “I Love You,” and as each heart has a message on both sides, you’ll definitely not miss the sentiment. Plus, if you want your beloved to know how you feel for weeks after Valentine’s Day, you can present them with a Giftable Box of Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts, which come in 4- and 8-packs. 

So far, so good, right? They definitely sound like a great alternative to Valentine’s Day chocolates, and they’re certainly more fun. There’s just one problem… Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts look a little similar to another product, in a very obvious way.

Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts and SweeTARTS Hearts Look Pretty Similar

It’s hard to ignore the fact that Sweet Bright Conversation Hearts are very close in appearance to SweeTARTS Hearts. The latter product already has that up-to-date feel that Brach’s is trying to capture with its new product, as well as the tangy taste that the new Conversation Hearts are going for. Kinda awkward, huh?

Could we soon have a war on our hands, as both brands battle it out to see who’s got the best candy? Well, only time will tell. However, as Ferrara owns both the Brach’s and SweeTARTS brands, we’d hazard a guess that they’ll be able to play nice. Until one of them emerges as the winner, that is.