How Russell Stover Won the Valentine's Chocolate War

In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, millions of American men will buy boxes of Russell Stover chocolate. They’ll dash into a Walgreens or Target or CVS after work and browse a candy aisle teeming with hearts: quilted hearts, hearts with kittens on them, hearts clutched between the plush paws of teddy bears, and hearts wrapped in what looks like a sexy nightie.

That satiny heart covered in black lace was designed by Russell Stover a few years ago to evoke the sultry side of the holiday. Its official name is the Secret Lace heart, but within the company it’s known as the lingerie box. “We’d take it to drugstores and the managers would say, ‘I can’t sell this! People will complain!’ ” recalls Chief Executive Officer Tom Ward, whose family has owned Russell Stover Candies for more than 50 years. “We’d have to tell them, ‘Trust us. Please. We’ve been doing this for a long time. People will buy it.’ ”