OUTCOME OF THE “THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO EAT A REESE’S” CAMPAIGN

The effectiveness of the ‘‘There’s No Wrong Way to Eat a Reese’s’’ campaign was demonstrated in tracking and copy tests conducted by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather. ‘‘It’s run for almost ten years, and it’s a campaign that really worked. Consumers identify with it,’’ said Amy Robertson, an account executive with the agency. The tests showed that people remembered the advertisements, related to them, and associated them with the Reese’s brand.
With a growth rate of 5.4 percent, the retailconfectionery category was one of the most rapidly expanding food markets in the United States in 1997. Hershey had record net sales of about $4.3 billion, up from about $4 billion in 1996, and the company said that its candy business in North America was the chief contributor to the increase in earnings. At the end of 1997 Hershey was preparing a new television and print advertising campaign, coupons, and a sampling promotion to introduce another line extension, ReeseSticks wafer bars, in February 1998.
After a successful 15-year run, in 2002 the ‘‘There’s No Wrong Way to Eat a Reese’s’’ campaign was replaced. A new campaign created by Ogilvy & Mather had the theme and tagline ‘‘Get Lost in a Reese’s.’’ It targeted young men ages 18–24 who typically enjoyed candy on the run, but it also appealed to consumers in other age groups. In addition to the new campaign, to help the brand stay relevant to consumers the company updated its product packaging and introduced another line extension: FastBreak candy bars. ‘‘Get Lost in a Reese’s’’ supported the launch of FastBreak.