Ad Age examines a celebrity-backed promotion designed to provoke the over-60 crowd into visiting the candy aisle more often.
Coinciding with the 30th Anniversary of Elvis’s death next summer, Hershey will shimmy onto the shelf a limited-edition peanut-butter-and-banana-creme variety inspired by the rock ‘n’ roll legend. And the rollout will be accompanied by a significant promotional outlay.
The push comes as part of Hershey’s effort to regain momentum for its brands, which have lost share to Mars during the last three months. Sales for Reese’s — No. 1 in the chocolate category — fell slightly during the last year to $412 million. And while many retailers question the appeal of the new flavor itself, the power of the pompadoured pop star is expected to bring attention to the item in stores.
