Pinky (candy)
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 Container of peach-flavored Pinky | |
| Type | Confectionary |
|---|---|
| Inception | 1997 |
| Manufacturer | Koikeya |
Pinky is a brand of mint-flavored candy sold by Koikeya, formerly Frente International. It is known for its commercial "Give me a Pinky, give me a Pinky" (ピンキーちょうだい ピンキーちょうだい).[1] Discontinued in 2018, it was revived in 2020 as "Pinky Fresh".
Pinky was originally released in 1997[1] under Frente International.[2] In 2006, they released a new flavor, grape mint, with heart-shaped mints as well as the original round-shaped mints.[2] In 2009, they changed their packaging and mints, releasing a new Alaska Mint flavor targeted at men. To promote the renewal, Pinky aired two commercials featuring TVXQ.[3]
As of 2016, they had flavors like peach and grape, as well as regionally-available flavors such as cherry for the Tōhoku region.[4] In June 2016, Frente International's parent company Frente announced that they would integrate their subsidiaries Koikeya, Frente International, and Assist, and rebrand Frente as Koikeya, with the changes implemented in October.[5]
Though discontinued in 2018, Pinky was revived in 2020 as "Pinky Fresh", a tablet candy and functional food containing Lactobacillus salivarius TI2711. The packaging replaced the pink monkey mascot Pinky Monkey (ピンキーモンキー) with a white monkey Fresh Monkey.[1]