Hershey’s has long been the undisputed leader of the s’mores tradition. But with the launch of the limited-time 'Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Caramel' bar, the challenge wasn’t to replace the original, iconic milk chocolate bar – it was to grow brand love by sparking curiosity and trial while protecting the legacy of a classic. The drippy, caramel-filled newcomer needed to drive incremental excitement in the highly competitive, variety-seeking confectionery category amid a key sales period.
To authentically reach its key Midwestern audience, Zeno tapped into cultural passion points: country music, family, and nostalgia. Country star, Russell Dickerson, and his wife, Kailey, became the faces of the campaign – real people, real campfire traditions, and real love for the Hershey’s brand.
A Multi-Phase Launch Strategy
- Phase 1: Create Drip-Worthy Curiosity
- In-depth talent and earned media strategy identification driven by Tagger and MuckRack data propelled the team to partner with country star, Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, setting the tone for the campaign.
- Targeted media seeding placed product samples into the hands of influential editors, generating earned coverage in Southern Living, The Kitchn, AllRecipes and more.
- A press release and appetizing product imagery positioned the 'Milk Chocolate with Caramel' bar as summer’s must-try product on a national, mainstream news scale.
- Phase 2: Generate Excitement
- Just ahead of Memorial Day – the start of s’mores season – Hershey’s filmed a cozy, fireside content series at the Dickersons’ home in Nashville. The couple shared nostalgic summer stories and favorite s’mores traditions, bringing an authentic, family-first tone to the campaign.
- National and local media were invited behind the scenes both in person (in Russell’s tour bus!) and virtually, from Us Weekly to The Tennessean, amplifying reach of product forward key messaging in headlining coverage.
- Phase 3: Ride the Cultural Wave
- The launch coincided with Russell’s viral “Happen to Me” TikTok dance moment, summer tour, and new music releases—creating a halo effect of cross-platform engagement.
- Influencers and fellow country stars like Nicole Combs amplified the excitement, giving the campaign cultural validation within the brand’s key audience set beyond brand messaging.
- Phase 4: Drive Conversion at Retail
- Campaign assets featuring the Dickersons became the hero visuals on Walmart.com, a performance indicating retailer, driving purchase intent and supporting strong retailer buy-in.
- Phase 5: Build on The Blaze
- The fireside chat-style campaign theme born for earned media and owned socials continued throughout the summer across paid creator content from creators like @Midwest Munchers and @DreamingOutLoud, boosted talent social and paid advertising, all geo-targeted to reach the brand’s hungry audience and entice trial amongst new fans.
Sweet Results for Hershey’s S’mores Portfolio
- 170 earned media placements and more than five billion earned media impressions across online, broadcast and social platforms.
- $14 million in sales, making the 'Caramel Bar' the #1 s’mores-focused innovation in Hershey’s history.
- Tripled sales performance compared to any past HERSHEY’S innovation.
- 11% lift across the total s’mores portfolio.
- 61% unit increase during the critical July 4th period.
- 29.5 million+ impressions and strong positive sentiment across all creator content.
- 1.6 million impressions on Meta and 1M impressions on TikTok with over 59k engagements on TikTok alone, exceeding the paid ad recall benchmark for CPG at 5.17%. (Influential’s historical CPG food data).
- Future secured: Walmart and other retailers have already doubled orders for 2026 when the product makes its victory lap on shelves.
Why It Worked
By combining craveable innovation with authentic storytelling, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Caramel bar didn’t just sell chocolate – it expanded the s’mores experience. The 360 campaign was a powerful testament to the effectiveness of targeted, insight-driven marketing – where every lever was intentionally pulled to resonate, convert, and ultimately, elevate brand and business performance.
With the right balance of heart, cultural timing, and retail muscle, the campaign cemented the 'Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Caramel' bar as a record-breaking innovation, proving that sometimes, a simple caramel drip can make history.
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