How a 125-year-old Chocolate Company Stays Culturally Relevant in 2019
At Hershey, we’re proud that consumers choose to make our brands part of their lives and include us in their moments of goodness throughout the year. But, that doesn’t mean we sit back and just hope for the best. We actively work with partners across a variety of activities — from family movies and ecommerce giants to Hollywood A-listers — to participate in popular culture in myriad ways and touch points. This fall has been an especially fun time for some of our iconic brands.
The Addams Family
To celebrate the release of the 2019 animated comedy movie The Addams Family, Hershey has launched various Halloween candy assortment packs that feature the movie logo and/or characters. A fan favorite being an assortment pack that includes, Reese’s, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Almond Joy, KIT KAT, Milk Duds, and Whoppers. The promotions included free movie tickets, digital experiences and interactive displays at retail, and even a mobile experience that allowed fans to learn the iconic Addams Family theme song on their mobile phone!
Halloween Headquarters
Understanding that consumers often purchase their candy and costumes at the same time, Hershey extended its Addams Family theme into a collaboration with Amazon and Rubie’s Costumes. Halloween Headquarters is a subsite on Amazon featuring Hershey’s brands and products alongside graphics for the new The Addams Family animated feature. In addition to candy, the site also promotes Addams Family outfits from Rubie’s Costumes and links to other merchandise related to the film and TV franchise.
It's A LIVE!
Fans of the Halloween holiday no doubt know the actor Neil Patrick Harris' affinity for family-friendly frights. This year, Harris and Reese’s collaborated on a first-of-its-kind trick-or-treat experience live on Facebook. Throughout the month of October, fans cast their votes on Harris’ Facebook and Instagram handles to decide what tricks and treats would appear. Online viewers were also able to choose guests’ paths through a haunted house in real-time.
Frozen 2
In another first-of-its-kind promotion, the Hershey Company and Disney collaborated on the promotion of its highly-anticipated Frozen 2 release. This fall, consumers will see the faces of Disney’s Frozen characters on Ice Breakers Ice Cubes. Frozen 2 opens in theaters everywhere November 22.
At Hershey, we're driven by creating moments of goodness, and that means understanding how our consumers enjoy life. Through creative partnerships like these, we're able to help foster joyous moments throughout the year.
