Coronavirus leads Peeps to cancel holiday-themed candy
‘The Greg Gutfeld Show’ discusses the coronavirus outbreak leading to a lack of Peeps and some spring breaks across the country getting canceled.
The Hershey Company is learning that there is no end to the things Twitter will take offense to.
This week, the confectionery brand has been forced to respond to backlash over its newest Hershey’s Kisses holiday ad, which is actually just a riff on its classic “Christmas Bells” commercial, wherein the Kisses are recast as a set of bells playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
This year, however, Hershey’s introduced a new spin on the ad, which begins just like the old one, but is soon interrupted by a little girl who snatches away one of the Kisses to use in a holiday cookie recipe. From that point in the commercial, the familiar bell-chimed tune is replaced with the same song, played on horns.
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Naturally, this seems to have upset the delicate balance of the Twitterverse, with some social media users even blaming the updated commercial for contributing to an increasingly awful 2020.
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“Every year I look forward to the Hershey Kisses Christmas commercial. I always pause to listen to [its] familiar melody as it brings back cherished Christmas memories. So, this year, when so many traditions can't be celebrated, @Hersheys decides to revamp it,” wrote one especially disappointed viewer. “#Thanks2020,” she sarcastically added, along with a broken-heart emoji.
Hershey’s has responded to some of the disappointed masses via Twitter, explaining that “after 30 years, we decided to honor holiday baking traditions with a new Bells commercial that included a nod to the original! We will share your comments with our team!”
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But the candy brand’s remarks weren’t enough to stifle some of the commercial’s biggest critics, one of whom started a Change.org petition to “get our old commercial back!” (It’s worth noting that the person who started the petition outright admits that “this may not be something that warrants a petition,” but created one anyway.)
In a statement provided to Fox News, Hershey’s reiterated that the “slight update” was meant to reflect Hershey’s role in holiday baking. The company added that the original ad did indeed air earlier in November, before the newer version — known as “Bells to Blossoms” — debuted.
"After 30 years, we decided to honor holiday baking traditions with a new Bells commercial that included a nod to the original," Hershey's explained on Twitter (iStock)
"Our hope this season is that our updated version not only harkens back memories of the original Kisses bells tune but also brings the genuine feeling of heartwarming to life with images of holiday baking between a father and daughter,” the statement read.
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"For viewers who love our original — don’t worry, we’ll be running both holiday ads this season. Keep your eyes peeled for our classic and iconic Bells spot as well as the newest 'Bells to Blossoms.'"