Hersheyland

Hershey's

The Hershey Company Brands – Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat, Kisses, Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers – naturally hold up the center of Halloween. But the problem is they don’t get credit for it. So let's own the emotional side of Halloween by tapping into peoples’ universal connection and love for the holiday.

The Challenge

Regain Halloween Momentum

Hershey needed to reclaim business momentum at Halloween and be seen as the emotional leader of the season, not just the candy people buy. The brand wasn’t getting credit for owning the holiday’s feelings and memories. The brief: move Hershey from “candy of choice” to the heart of Halloween culture.

The Idea

Build an Emotional Platform

We tapped into the nostalgia and wonder people feel at Halloween and centered everything on emotion-driven storytelling. The idea was to create a storytelling platform — big enough to hold characters, episodic films, and seasonal moments. That platform would let Hershey own the emotional side of the holiday year after year.

The Work

LAUNCH HERSHEYLAND FRANCHISE

We created Hersheyland and launched with Hershey Hallow — a neighborhood of films, characters, and long-form content that dramatized the wonder of the season. The work combined broadcast-quality films, social-first content, channel partnerships, and integrated media plans to shift perception and reach audiences where they are. This approach turned seasonal promos into a cohesive cultural franchise.

The Expansion

Scalable Year-Round Universe

Hersheyland is a bustling, expandable universe of neighborhoods (Hershey Hallow, Holiday Lane, Sweet Escape Park, etc.) designed to host stories for every holiday. The episodic model enables partnerships, distribution deals, merchandising, and licensing while ensuring consistent brand voice across channels. It’s built to scale from Halloween to a year-round cultural content franchise.