Dive Brief:
- Hershey's is launching a line of chocolate spreads, as sales of rival Ferrero's Nutella spread have tripled in the U.S to more than $240 million a year.
- The Hershey spreads look like shameless clones of Nutella, with short, transparent jars with wide tops and white plastic covers. One of the flavors is even a chocolate and hazelnut mix.
- Hershey will air a series of national TV ads to promote the spreads.
Dive Insight:
Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a magical kingdom called America. All was wonderful in America, and the people knew it was because their leader was King Innovation. And the king was bold and brave and magnificent. He had built wonderful machines that gave light to all the land. Then one sad day, the king died. Kings do that from time to time. And the people wept.
The new king was Innovation's son, called Knock-off. And he was wimpy and craven and jealous. And Innovation's machines grew old and rusty, and soon a great darkness spread over the land. And the people shivered in fear and grew angry. And King Knock-off sent his soldiers to other lands with orders to steal light.
But a wise man gathered the people together and said, "This cannot work. Light that is stolen is forever less bright than light that is built." And he told them the sad tales of how Jif Hazelnut Spread was introduced to an indifferent market by J.M. Smucker in 2012 and how the once mighty General Mills led his troops to another land to steal a subscription-snack business. And the people wept.