Surge Brands’ Ari Freedman talks Toxic Waste, Mister Softee – and the power of nostalgia

Ari, it’s great to catch up. For anyone new to Surge Brands – the sister company of Surge Licensing – how would you describe your focus, and the types of brands you look after?
When I founded Surge Brands, my goal was to build a portfolio of brands that weren’t necessarily entertainment-based, but ones I had a personal connection with – brands I grew up with and truly loved. The first brand I signed was Toxic Waste, the candy brand. It’s been around for 20 years, and I saw incredible potential for it in licensing. At its core, Surge Brands is about representing brands that resonate with me and have untapped opportunities for growth.

Digging more into Toxic Waste for a moment, were the brand owners quick to embrace licensing? Was it an easy sell for you?
It wasn’t an easy sell. Brand owners are always hesitant to go into a new category – it’s uncharted territory. But we explained our history in the business and that helped – although I did also admit that this was my first foray into the licensing business in terms of taking a brand on myself. Laura King, President of Toxic Waste, even saved my first email because the way it was written – from the perspective of a true fan – resonated with her. I believe my genuine passion for the brand played a key role in making that connection.

“Toxic Waste’s vibrant colours, bold flavour profiles, and iconic characters appeal to all ages.”

What convinced you that Toxic Waste had licensing potential?
Three things set Toxic Waste apart in the candy space: the colour scheme, the characters and the flavour profile. That’s why we could build a licensing program for it. They’re an amazing client. During my first conversation with them, they opened up a style guide they’d never shared before – and it included an entire comic book story! It was clearly ripe for licensing.

Another key factor is that it’s a multigenerational brand. I’m 30 and have been eating it for 20 years. The vibrant colours, bold flavour profiles, and iconic characters appeal to all ages. Adults drink our energy drinks, kids eat the candy, and they’re playing with slime and plush.

And as far as the sour category goes, I believe it was really lifted by Toxic Waste. The brand had been around for 20 years, but when TikTok came into play, Toxic Waste became the biggest name in the sour space. There’s a wider #sour trend emerging, with companies like Powerade, Coca-Cola, and Mondelez jumping in. It all started with Toxic Waste, and that’s exciting.

Is there a launch you would highlight as being a good showcase for how creative licensees can be with Toxic Waste?
There are quite a few! One I’d really highlight is our upcoming energy drink program with Candy Can in the UK and Europe. We’ve licensed Toxic Waste to them, and it’s set to launch at the end of Q2 this year. The product looks incredible, and the flavours are amazing.

Look forward to trying it! Now, your portfolio also includes Mister Softee, the soft-serve ice cream brand. Talk me through why that IP appealed.
It’s probably the most nostalgic brand we represent. It’s a brand that’s been around for close to 70 years. You will see a three-year-old walk to a Mister Softee truck and have the biggest smile on their face – and probably ice cream all over them! And then you’ll also see an 85-year-old that grew up with Mister Softee. From the logo, the truck, the jingle…The brand sparks a feeling that takes you back to being a kid again.

It’s the same with Albanese Candy. It’s a newer brand in the gummy category, but it’s an inventive and we will have fun licensing it while keeping the retro appeal. Then there’s Cookie Dough Bites, another brand I grew up with and that we now represent. I remember going to the movie theatre, buying a box of Cookie Dough Bites and dumping them into the popcorn. It’s all about nostalgia.

I like the idea that your portfolio is sort of painting a picture of your childhood diet.
Ha! It sure is. But honestly, it makes sense – these are the brands I grew up with or always wanted to. It’s like a childhood throwback… Without the sugar rush!

Best of both worlds! And with those three brands in mind, where do you see the big opportunities?
Our primary focus is expanding these brands within the confectionery and food and beverage space. Specifically with Mister Softee, we’re looking to expand the brand’s presence in its core category on a global scale. Our goal is to have Mister Softee trucks rolling through the streets of the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand – taking the brand to new markets and making it a worldwide icon.

Do you think the confectionery sector has other brands – like Toxic Waste or Cookie Dough Bites – with untapped licensing potential? Is it a space the industry should look closer at?
There are a lot of brands playing in this space right now, but I don’t think every brand is maximising its full potential. The candy industry is just at the beginning of its licensing journey. The runway is infinite because a lot of candy brands are almost evergreen… They’re with you your entire life, from when you’re a kid. They’re powerful in that way.

Moving away from food briefly, we recently covered the news that you’re representing camera brand, Le Clic. What appealed about that IP?
When you look at companies like Polaroid, they’ve built massive licensing programs – and with digital cameras making a strong comeback, there’s a real opportunity. If you follow the trends on TikTok, digital cameras are back again, big time. Le Clic stands out with its bold colours, adding a fun factor that sets it apart from other brands. Our goal is to bring Le Clic back into the camera category, injecting it with that same vibrant, playful energy. It’s a really fun brand, and there’s a lot of potential there.

And is there a brand in your portfolio that remains relatively untapped licensing-wise that you’re excited to do more for?
Crazy Aaron’s is one we’re having a lot of exciting conversations around. Slime is a huge category, and Aaron’s is incredible in that space. Another brand we’re really focused on is Blue Man Group. The show and its characters have been around for so long, and we see a big opportunity to expand them into licensing. When you look at the confectionery industry, blue is the dominant colour! It’s the same with the paint category. We believe there’s a real chance to grow Blue Man Group into a successful and expansive licensing program.

Before we start to wrap up, what helps you sort of fuel your creativity?
Walking retail. I walk retail all the time. I spend my days in those aisles looking at brand extensions – and looking for white spaces. If you’re not walking retail, you’re never going to figure out what the whitespace is in a category.

You have family ties in the industry with your dad, Mark, having set up Surge Licensing and being something of an industry legend. So was it always part of the plan to be in this industry?
Well, I remember coming home and there was a different toy on my counter every single day. And it wasn’t because my parents were going out and buying us toys – it’s because new products were coming in for approval. My father looked at my younger sister and me, who is also now in the business, and he’d ask: “What do you think of this? Is this a fun toy? Would you and your friends play with?” And if it wasn’t toys, it was food and beverage items… Anything my parents were touching at the time, my dad was bringing home every day. Work became the toy store for us!

In the early 2000s, when I was a child, my father was a manufacturer. We were in the inflatable furniture business. He basically went out and got the rights to pretty much every cartoon character you could think of. He had this giant conference room, and it was taken over by inflatables. My favourite thing to do was run to the office and dive into the inflatables – it was like the ball pit! That’s essentially what got me into licensing… Looking at new properties, seeing opportunities in the white space, walking retail with my dad and understanding where there’s opportunities. I essentially spent years as a child in product approval!

Amazing! My dad’s a plumber and it didn’t have quite the same magic to it! But I suppose there’s no guarantee that kids follow their parents into an industry. Did they need to sell it to you in any way?
With the entrepreneurial spirit of my family, I went out and started a couple of companies before coming back into the business. So, I touched several industries before licensing – sports, food, beverage. It got to a point where I was looking at these industries and thinking: ‘I want to do all of these.’ My father always said that with a licensing background, you truly can touch every industry out there. And we’ve touched essentially every vertical of retail in every category over the years. That’s what I learned and what really appealed about working in this industry.

Terrific! Ari, a huge thanks again.