Group 4 -- Snacks/Confections
Ads for chocolate have traditionally included everything from catchy jingles and songs, and are often depicted using humor and comedy to entice the viewer to consume the product. Here's a couple.
Milky Way
This Milky Way Ad uses humor as a tool to promote the chocolate and to show that you’re not feeling your best self when you’re hungry.The ad implies that eating a Milky Way will bring you back to you true self. The Target audience for this ad was for Millennials and Gen Z. The artist saying “Sorry about your tattoo” shows how we be making spontaneous choices which can be influenced by if someone is hungry (not thinking clearly).
Ferrero Rocher
This 2022 Ferrero Rocher Golden Transformations ad used Valentine’s Day to promote their product and used the idea that the concept of the Golden Transformation suggest that Ferrero Rocher turns regular moments into something special.The ad is for consumers looking for premium gifts.This mostly involves Adults who appreciate high price things and are willing to invest in quality for special occasions like Valentine’s Day.
Kit Kat
The 2016 Kit Kat ad used Chance The Rapper to promote the Kit Kat bar and played with his name by phrasing him as “Chance The Wrapper” This pun made the commercial memorable and had a fun modern remix of the orginal Kit Kat song which helped pull in Millennials and Gen Z while still keeping the brand’s nostalgia.At that time Chance The Rapper was a emerging artist and his creative image helped push sales and relate to younger audiences.
Crunch
Crunch used Shaquille O' Neal to advertise their chocolate because at the time he was one of the biggest NBA stars at the time which made him a great choice to get the younger consumers especially basketball fans. The targeted audience seemed to be for kids and teens because of the the playful dynamic of the ad and for parents who buy candy for their kids. These parents saw Shaq as a good athlete which could make the brand more reliable.
Snickers
The Snickers “Betty White ad was made in 2010 during the Super Bowl and this commercial targets sports fans and general audiences. Betty White’s appearance helped get older viewers and the humor used made it available to a wider audience. This appearance from Betty White also helped revive Betty White’s career which led to her hosting SNL. This ad also helped the slogan “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” become iconic and led to more ads using this same slogan. This is why it was effective and it was a good mix of humor,celebrity appeal and strong branding.
This “You’re Not You When Your Hungry” snickers campaign targets a broad audience, trying to relate to those who get hangry, or acting out of character when hungry. This campaign is designed to be relatable no matter age, gender or background. This ad shows how hunger can effect everyday behaviors. This ads goes into the emotional state of hunger, showcasing how it can lead to negative behaviors and then offering Snickers as a solution to differ those feelings.
M&M
M&M used a holiday to advertise their chocolates, St. Patrick’s day. Using the idea of “Luck” to use it in an ad for this holiday. As many associate St. Patrick’s day with, green, lucky charms, 4 leaf clovers, leprechauns, gold etc. Seeing as they used a hashtag placing this add on twitter and Facebook, the target audience are men and women ages 19 - 29. The ad advertises the possibility of winning a 4th of July in LA.
Kinder
Kinder uses this ad in efforts to increase their sales. This ad has a light and breezy. optimistic vibe. This ads target audience are most likely men and women ages 19-39. They are trying to target people who are confident, curious, driven and have the urge to live life to the fullest.
Hershey
This ad is created by Hershey’s, in honor of women’s history month. For this ad they brought back their limited addition SHE bars. These bars have positive words like “authentic, limitless, powerful, fearless” Hershey uses this packaging to make their target audience, women, feel empowered and inspired. Hershey used this campaign/ad as a way to increase sales. With the possibility that others will buy the chocolate to gift to a woman who’s played an important role in their life as a small gesture.
Lindor
This ad is used to promote the Lindt's Chocolate bars. The Lindor chocolate bar is seen floating/ passing by people experiencing joy. The Chocolate truffle passes by scenes of joy to the song "Round and Round” by Perry Como. Showing the chocolate in a moment of bliss and sharing, before ending the ad with the phrase “Life’s a Ball.” This ad is supposed to symbolize the truffle embarking on a new journey, symbolizing the moments of bliss and joy that life can bring. This ad is targeting football fans and chocolate lovers. As this ad is showcased during the super bowl, along with the wife of Eagles player, Jason Kelce being a part of the ad.
Kit Kat
The KitKat commercial “Give Me A Break” was made in 1988, this ad was created to target a broad audience by using humor to communicate the message that taking a “break” with a Kit Kat bar allows consumers to relax and take a pause from daily routines. Its effectiveness comes from the catchy jingle and portrayal of everyday stress. Which makes this commercial stand out in the snacks/confections category.
Twix
This Twix commercial takes a playful approach by insinuating the Left and Right Twix have two distinct processes which creates a unique flavor in each Twix bar. By taking this approach we can assume Twix’s target audience would be a younger consumer due to the humorous nature of the ad. This creative strategy engages viewers by using humor to make the ad memorable and making viewers “pick a side” which will cause people to go out and buy a Twix bar so they can find out firsthand if there is a difference in flavor.
Reese
Reese’s “Don’t Eat Lava” ad appeared during this year’s Super Bowl, this commercial targets sports fans and adventurous snackers by using humor to present the lengths people will go to consume the Chocolate Lava Big Cups. The ad also shows consumers that the Chocolate Lava Big Cup will offer a safe indulgent experience, unlike other chocolates on the market. The cherry on top is the memorable tagline “It’s lava time, baby” which helps this ad stand out.
Hershey
The ad “Heartwarming the World” made by Hershey aims to evoke feelings from the audience. The target audience for this ad is people with disabilities. By showcasing people from different backgrounds it shows how Hershey chocolates can bring people together to create lasting memories. This causes consumers to get a sense of warmth and nostalgia associated with sharing Hershey chocolates during special moments.
Cadbury
The Cadbury “Your Always” ad targets viewers who value special occasions and heartfelt gestures. This ad pulls on the heartstrings of viewers by showing a heartfelt moment between a daughter and her mother. The daughter buying her mother a sweet treat for her birthday with everything she has in her pockets pushes the brands message of bringing sweetness and warmth to unforgettable moments.
Hershey
2024 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar "I Melt With You" Commercial
The irony of Hershey's 2024 "I Melt With You" commercial is that the brand tries to connect with consumers by using a song from the 80's that's aimed to feel both nostalgic and bring a sense of understanding that Hershey has with its audience. While the ad is very brief, running only 15 seconds long, the song choice is very purposeful as Hershey is trying to connect with a newer, younger audience with a young woman in the advertisement, while still catering to the older generations who have fond memories of enjoying the Hershey milk chocolate bar. Which is evident in the brand's song choice of "I Melt With You" by Modern English. The unwrapping and eating of the Hershey bar brings a sense of comfort and happiness that the brand wants to be associated with among consumers new and old.
Nestle Crunch
1984 Nestle Crunch Bar "S-Crunch-ous" Commercial
This 1984 Nestle Crunch Bar "S-Crunch-ous" commercial was created to target families that are looking for a delicious snack that the whole family can enjoy. The advertisement itself feels very traditional and joyful and is definitely everything you can expect from an 80's candy advertisement. Its over-the-top happy, go-lucky approach apparently was quite popular during this time and helped make this brand synonymous with crunchy, tasty, feel-good chocolate.
KitKat
2010 KitKat Vending Machine Commercial
Despite the fact that this ad is 15 seconds long, the ad appeals to men and women around the ages of 20-40 who are selecting KitKats at a vending machine. Between the vending machine's infectious jingle and the break of a KitKat bar, we know exactly what the product is and who they are marketing towards.
Twix
2010 Twix "Need A Moment?" Commercial
This 2010 Twix commercial depicts two men laughing at a wedding afterparty after one man jokes about why is the bride is wearing white? Just at that same moment, the bride's father turns around and confronts the man for the joke. This creates the perfect setup to plug in a Twix bar to give the man a moment to figure out a good excuse to tell the bride's father. The ad itself is very funny and Twix tastefully plugs in its product very effectively while delivering a funny and entertaining advertisement at the same time. The same ad also ends with the same man being introduced to another woman by the bride's father which shows off why the candy is superior for any situation. The ad specifically is targeting men and is a great advertisement that can easily be a masterclass for any product or service that wants good promotion.
M&M
2012 M&M "Sexy and I Know It" Super Bowl Commercial
This 2012 M&M ad was actually a Super Bowl commercial that aired during the event to promote the brand in a funny, light-hearted way. The brand wanted to sell itself to consumers as a sexy, delicious brand of candy by using the song, "Sexy and I Know It". With the use of the song, it's evident that the brand is targeting young men between ages 20-40. The commercial's use of the song made the advertisement a viral moment from the Super Bowl and still stands out as one of the most popular ads from that year's Super Bowl with over 23 million views on YouTube alone!
While every brand aims for a specific target audience and wants to be seen as delicious, modern and trendy, only a few ads have catapulted brands to new heights and introduced new consumers to their candies. While chocolate as a whole has been considered as a guilty-pleasure treat, the following brands have used that stereotype to their advantage as they have advertised their candies using themes of comfort, nostalgia, joy and bliss. And all of the ads we chose for this blog, perfectly exhibits that.
Anthony, Dani, Sebastian, Christina,