I’ve seen brands make big commitments to certain properties, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a product make as big of a splash in a traditional platform as Hershey’s Reese’s brand has made over the past couple weeks.
The marketers behind America’s top-selling candy bar practically bought out every in-arena space they could for the Big East, Pac-10 and Big Ten tournaments –- putting the Reese’s logo with the familiar brown and orange colors on the rollerboards, on the court, on the LED signage flashing around the arenas, on, and even under, the hanging scoreboard at Madison Square Garden for the Big East matchups. They then took the brand inside the studios by having presence on ESPN’s halftime shows.
“The college basketball fan clearly falls into Reese’s core target,” Hershey spokesperson Jody Cook said. “That’s 18- to 24-year-old pleasure seekers who crave experiences that make them feel good and don’t feel guilty for going after those pleasurable experiences.”
The Reese’s brand can’t advertise on the floor during the NCAA tournament games as it did with the conference tournaments, but they are continuing with their full court press. They’re asking fans online to “Pick the Perfect Play” on CBSSports.com, using CBS analyst Greg Anthony to garner more attention.
