Hershey’s advertising a sweet story of success

Apparently, there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.

That was among the messages Boston University graduate Shawn Alan Zupp delivered in a lecture on the history of Hershey advertising to the College of Communication’s Advertising Laboratory class on Friday.

Zupp, who is an account supervisor for Hershey, showed students the advertising history of the Hershey Chocolate Bar, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and the Hershey Kiss, demonstrating the evolution of commercials from the 1970s to the present.

“The history of Hershey is truly an American success story,” Zupp said. The Hershey company was started in 1900 by Milton Hershey, though it was not until 1969 that the company started advertising.

Zupp’s presentation showed how the company succeeded in creating a reaction among the American public by reaching out to the people through the commercial, while keeping a consistent slogan or jingle that became familiar over time.

He said the company used commercials to associate feelings of happiness and loyalty with Hershey products through slogans like “The Great American Chocolate Bar” and the “Put a Smile On Your Face” jingle.

Zupp graduated from BU in 1995 and then went on to advertise for Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola. He now works on the Hershey account, where he is a supervisor for the advertising of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, ReeseSticks and Jolly Rancher.

“I love to come back to Boston University to speak,” Zupp said. “It’s fun for the students and they get a chance to see what it’s like working in this field. I like to help them experience it.”

Rohan Stevens, a senior in COM, was the winner of a T-shirt and Reeses candy. “He gave a great performance,” Stevens said. “He gave good background and showed how far the ads have come. It was interesting to see the entire room react to the ads.”

Ad Lab is a student run organization that does advertising work for non-profit clients. “It was good to experience a little bit of the real world of advertising,” said Heather Shepherd, a COM junior. “We really don’t get to see it much.”