Hershey's is once again partnering with The Pokémon Company International, launching a limited edition run of Hershey's Kisses with Pokémon designs in 2026. The focus will be on collectable wrappers, featuring a total of 161 designs, including, for the first time, designs related to Team Rocket. The promotion will be accompanied by digital collectible and marketing elements.
According to the company, the new edition includes 151 Poké Ball foil designs and ten additional Team Rocket motifs. This continues Hershey’s strategy of combining confectionery packaging, licensed themes, and digital customer interaction. The packaging contains QR codes that consumers can use to access a digital collecting platform. There, they can document motifs they find and access prize draws.
Packaging becomes part of the brand experience
The campaign shows how packaging is increasingly being used as an interactive marketing surface. Hershey's is connecting the primary packaging of its chocolate products with digital elements and storytelling revolving around the Pokémon universe. According to Carly Andrews, Associate Brand Manager at The Hershey Company, the collection aims to offer „our most fun, collectible Pokémon release yet“.
The campaign will be accompanied by social media activities, including a temporary takeover of Hershey’s Instagram channel by Team Rocket as part of the campaign story. The collection mechanic is intended to particularly appeal to younger target groups and families, creating additional purchase incentives.
Limited Editions as a stimulus for packaging design
Hershey's is therefore, according to its own statements, focusing on attention-grabbing special editions in packaging design, an approach that is increasingly being used in the confectionery industry to activate collectors and fans. According to the company, these are limited-time products with no planned repeat production.
Hershey's also announced parallelly that Pokémon special editions would be released for the snack brand Pirate's Booty. These are set to feature Pikachu-shaped snacks and interactive packaging with game and download content.
Source: The Hershey Company
