Man, I love the British Isles! A significant amount of my heritage comes from that area, so I'm very prone to getting excited about things from the UK. But did I pick up Life Savers™️ when I was there?
Not quite.
Even though I'm not fully ready to write this article yet, I'm going to store some things here that you can take a look at in the meantime.
The First Introduction to England in 1916
https://letslookagain.com/2015/03/a-history-of-james-pascall/
Ike from Italy provides some other context about James Pascall Ltd:
1916: Life Savers sweets are launched in the United Kingdom, thanks to an agreement with the confectionery company James Pascall Ltd, which will distribute them exclusively until 1923, the year in which it will begin producing them directly in the factory in Mitcham, Surrey, in south-west London, until before the Second World War.
And he has something to say about the next company involved, Rowntree.
Rowntree, another confectionery company in the United Kingdom, soon set its sights on those mints with holes, such an innovative and successful product, and later, in 1948, began producing them, effectively copying the Life Savers. Source: https://ikeblog.it/2022/08/31/polo-life-savers-navy-le-caramelle-col-buco/
Life Savers were manufactured in the UK in 1923
FrimleyBlogger, "The curious tale of the mints with the hole," 27 April 2023. Retrieved from https://windowthroughtime.wordpress.com/2023/04/17/the-curious-tale-of-the-mints-with-the-hole/
1931 was the High Point in Life Saver sales
2.28 million packs of Life Savers were sold that year, according to FrimleyBlogger.
World War 2
Scroll down to 1945 to learn more about Life Savers being included in soldiers' rations packages.
Sales dwindle by 1947 and were pulled from the UK market by 1956
FrimleyBlogger indicated that, due to deprivation and rationing during World War II, the sales plummeted. However, the dwindling sales after World War II probably had more to do with Rountree's introduction of Polo in 1948.
It is fascinating to know that--at least with respect to Australian Life Savers--Nestlé purchased Rowntree, meaning that Life Savers and Polo were ostensibly produced by the same company.
Polo Vs. Life Savers
https://letslookagain.com/2015/03/polo/
Naturally anyone would wonder why Rowntree "got by" with such an obvious trademark infringement, especially after actually producing Life Savers. For more info, see:
TRADE MARKS ACT 1994I, N THE MATTER OF APPLICATION No. 2006992, BY SOCIÉTÉ DES PRODUITS NESTLÉ S.A. TO REGISTER THE TRADE MARK: IN CLASS 30 AND IN THE MATTER OF OPPOSITION THERETO UNDER No. 47138 BY MARS UK LIMITED. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.ipo.gov.uk/t-challenge-decision-results/o44002.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjHoPyxjMSHAxX-EVkFHY1JBsoQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1fOzPVqffy53BksUqaFAI4
At any rate, in an odd example of irony, later Nestlé purchased both brands (Life Savers and Rowntree), for the European and Australasian regions.
Butter Scotch
"A 'whee' flavor at a wee price," was the slogan for Butter Scotch Life Savers. Its advertisements were clearly intended to evoke Scotland, from the inclusion of its famous beverage, to the costuming of the children in the odds, to the plaid on its wrappers. See https://www.etsy.com/listing/1309555374/vintage-1952-life-savers-butterscotch
Colonies:
These are included, because they were related to the United Kingdom during portions of Life Saver history.
Commonwealth of Australia (independent after 1939/1942)
Commonwealth of Canada (Independent after 1867/1931/1982)
Republic of South Africa (independent after 1931)