HERSHEY, Pa. -- With the official 100-Day Countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, Hershey Co., official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, has unveiled new, patriotic-themed packaging on some of its most iconic brands.
The games will be held in Rio de Janeiro from Aug. 5-21, 2016.
In support of Team USA, the 122-year old Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar will be taking an unprecedented shift and switching the traditional silver lettering to red, white and blue for the first time in the history of the bar.
“Both Hershey and Team USA share a unique, irreplaceable place in the hearts, lives and memories of many Americans. We want our country and athletes to know that Hershey is here to help celebrate every moment. What better way than with a patriotic version of one of our signature products,” said Mary-Ann Somers, vice president and general manager for U.S. confection at The Hershey Co. “We believe that the decision to change our iconic Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar lettering for the first time in 122 years is a testament to how much we value our partnership with Team USA. Hershey is behind Team USA and we are here to express our support for our athletes as they complete their journey to Rio.”
The Team USA line of products, which the company revealed during an event at the Hershey’s Chocolate World Attractions in New York City and Hershey, Pa., are available for purchase for the first time prior to national launch. The suite of patriotic products will be available nationally beginning on May 6, 2016. They will be available at mass, grocery, drug and specialty retailers nationwide including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger, Walgreens and CVS, as well as Hershey’s Chocolate World locations and online at Amazon.com.
The full lineup of patriotic products includes Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almond Bars, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat Wafer Bars and Payday Bars. The special-edition products also include 12-ounce bags of Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates (wrapped in stars and stripes foil), Reese’s Miniatures, Hershey’s Miniatures, York Candies and Rolo Candies.
Hershey, with headquarters in Hershey, Pa., is a global confectionery leader known for its chocolate, sweets, mints and other candy and snacks. It has more than 80 brands around the world that drive more than $7.4 billion in annual revenues, including iconic brand names such as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers and Brookside.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.