The Hershey Insider

Remember those Candy Corn Kisses?

You know, the Candy Corn Kisses that were only available at Target last year? The Kisses that were so "limited edition" they were impossible to find by the beginning of October?

They're baaaaaaack!

And they're at Hershey's Chocolate World, so if I had to guess, I'd guess that Candy Corn Kisses will enjoy wider distribution this year. But don't count on it -- if you see them in a store near you, buy as much as you think you'll need for Halloween. And I have to say, as excellent as these are for Kiss cookies and trick-or-treat bags, they are darn good as an adult snack with a cup of coffee or a hot buttered rum.

Young & Smylie Licorice

Another of the surprises I found at Chocolate World a few days ago were these 8 oz. bags of Young & Smylie licorice. It shouldn't have been such a surprise -- I've been reading about the new confection for a few months and The Hershey Company actually issued a timely press release for them in late June:

HERSHEY, Pa., June 26, 2008 – The Hershey Company announces the introduction of new Young & Smylie™ premium soft licorice with mouth-watering flavors fit for a king. Dating back to ancient times, licorice has long been revered as both a sweet indulgence and a medicinal remedy. In fact, in King Tut’s 3,000-year-old tomb, vast quantities of licorice root were found among magnificent treasures of art and jewelry. Originally founded in 1845, Young & Smylie is again making the classic candy available to consumers seeking refined, sophisticated flavors, beginning July 2008.

Young & Smylie licorice celebrates the time-honored style of soft-textured licorice in three slightly sweet flavors, including Traditional Black Licorice, Strawberry and Peach Mango. Made with natural licorice root extract, Young & Smylie pieces are easy to chew and conveniently bite-sized for enjoyment on-the-go, whether in the office, in the car or at home.

“Young & Smylie celebrates consumers’ love of traditional licorice with exciting flavors that appeal to today’s sophisticated palates,” said Michele Buck, Senior Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, The Hershey Company. “People looking for a grown-up candy to match their grown-up tastes will appreciate the craftsmanship and authenticity that Young & Smylie has delivered since the 19th century.”

Young & Smylie Confections was acquired by The Hershey Company in 1977. For more than 150 years, Young & Smylie has been known for its unwavering quality and authentic licorice candy.

Young & Smylie licorice will retail for $2.99 and will be sold in convenient 8 oz., re-sealable, standup packages at mass retailers, grocery and drug stores nationwide.

The black licorice is good, although it's very soft and improves after it's been left out for a day or two. The strawberry licorice has a much stronger strawberry flavor than Strawberry Twizzlers. And the peach mango flavor? It just didn't work for me -- it's very sweet, almost cloyingly so. Give me Bassett's All-Sorts or Haribo licorice and I'll take it over the new Y&S. Having said that, I'm happy to see The Hershey Company reaching for the stars and introducing more premium products. And I'm even happier that the 8 oz. bags were only $1.55 each at Chocolate World!

Reese's Select Clusters

 
The Reese's Select Clusters have finally made it to Hershey on their long journey from Mexico. I found them at Chocolate World a few days ago in an 8 oz. bag priced at $3.95. So at $8.00 a pound, Reese's Clusters are aimed at a more "gourmet" consumer.

They're good, and Cybele covered them in her usual excellent detail at Candy Blog. I'm still not certain how macadamia nuts fit (and without marquee billing), and I wish the high fructose corn syrup didn't appear in that lengthy ingredients list. But they're tasty little morsels nonetheless.

Caramel Apple Kisses

One of the surprises I found at Hershey's Chocolate World yesterday was a small display of Limited Edition Kisses: Candy Corn and Caramel Apple. So it looks as though the Candy Corn Kisses, which were Target exclusives last year (and in short supply around here), may get a wider distribution for autumn this year.

And then there are those Caramel Apple Kisses, all decked out in fall colors. They are surprisingly good -- sweet, of course, but with a nice tart green apple flavor on top of the caramel. So if you're near Chocolate World, stock up now. You never know how supplies will be in October, when you really want those Caramel Apple Kisses for Halloween treats!

Treasures from Chocolate World

 We went on a little excursion to Hershey's Chocolate World today, despite the warnings of heavy traffic (Billy Joel is performing this evening at Hersheypark Stadium), and returned with a few treasures:

* The Limited Edition Candy Corn Kisses are back -- and this year, they brought a fall-flavor friend, Caramel Apple Kisses;


* I finally found Reese's Clusters, all the way from  Mexico -- although the description on the bag is "Peanuts, Pecans, Peanut Butter and Caramel wrapped in Milk Chocolate," the ingredient list includes macadamia nuts;


* There's a new expensive souvenir for the tourists -- a tiny burlap sack of Hershey's Cocoa Beans for $5.95 (OK, I bought one);


* The three Young & Smylie licorice varieties are positioned near checkout counters in the main candy retail area.

Photos to come...

Reese's Peanut Butter Bats

It looks as though Hershey is jumping on The Dark Knight bandwagon as far as 2008 summer movie promos are concerned (at least I haven't seen any Hershey /Indiana Jones products yet). These Reese's Peanut Butter Bats popped up in Chocolate World recently. I noticed Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bats and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bats, in miniature sizes and individual bar sizes. What I like most about the miniature versions is the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter: there's more chocolate there!

Entertaining a Preschooler for Free

Like most communities, Hershey offers several great playgrounds. But when your preschooler gets tired of the playground equipment, you can depend on plenty of other free entertainment venues around town, too.

When our playground time got boring today, my almost-three-year-old and I headed behind the main Hershey factory and watched some switching around the sidings. Free, and good for a solid half hour of "Wow!"

We often head to Hershey's Chocolate World for fun as well. Just one round on the tour ride makes us both a little happier. Or we'll drive up the hill to the Hotel Hershey in the afternoon to watch the koi; if we're lucky, we get there in time for the daily feeding.

I know when my little guy gets older, he won't be so easily entertained. In the meantime, I'm grateful for all the interesting (and free) entertainment in Hershey!

Bliss Ads Begin

I've finally started seeing ads for Hershey's Bliss (I noticed one during Top Chef on Wednesday), and I'm liking them. Which is good, since Bliss is apparently targeted to my demographic.

According to Adweek:

Two TV spots, aimed at women, say, "Bliss is everywhere. You just have to unwrap it." One spot shows women in simple pursuits such as strolling in a field of sunflowers, swinging on a hammock and a mom and daughter lying on a grassy field. The ad also is rich in product shots of the Hershey's Bliss 9.6-ounce bag and candy pieces. It includes the song "Bliss" by singer/songwriter Alice Peacock.

What I like most about the Bliss ad I saw was the return of real people in Hershey's ads. The ads that stick with me over time are the ads that feature people enjoying the product: Hershey's original "Kissing Kids"; the chance meetings of one person with chocolate and another with peanut butter; the people talking about how they eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup; the "Put a Smile on Your Face" jingle; all those great images of people enjoying "The Great America Chocolate Bar" at the end of the Chocolate World ride -- I loved seeing those happy faces!

But in recent years, it seems as though Hershey's advertising has been heading for product-only ads or celebrity endorsements. Animated Hershey's Kisses, endorsements by Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley. Elvis Peanut Butter Cups. Dale Earnhardt Hershey Bars.

So it's nice to see the Bliss ads with "real people" in them. I hope it means a return to those people-centric ads I love. And maybe even a return of some happy faces with Hershey Bars somewhere in Chocolate World...

Sweet Fashions by Hershey's

The second annual "Sweet Fashions by Hershey" fashion show took place yesterday at Hershey's Chocolate
World, and thanks to Michele, we got our tickets to the sold-out show just in time!

This yearly event is sponsored by The Hershey Company and benefits the Children's Miracle Network at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Children's Hospital. And it's much more than just a fashion show: for your $30 donation to CMN (thanks to The Hershey Company, every dollar of the ticket price goes to CMN), you get admission to a family-friendly reception, a show featuring new Hershey's fashions (emceed by Dylan Lauren, daughter of Ralph and owner of Dylan's Candy Bar), access to chocolate tasting stations, a chocolate dinner buffet and dessert table, a chance to win one of many gift baskets, and some off-the-hook goodie bags. And if that weren't enough, every one of the ten Project Runway "Eye Candy" designs were on display at the event.

We had a great time, and I'm looking forward to next year's show...and hoping to bring more friends with me!

Happy Easter!

A few of these cute Joseph Schmidt Bunny Truffles are still available at Hershey's Chocolate World if you need a last-minute basket filler or hostess gift. Or a gift for yourself. I'm just sayin'.