The Hershey Co. first aired its Kisses as Christmas bells ad in 1989. Now, the commercial is revered as iconic and the classic has remained mostly unchanged. Though, 31 years later since the classic first premiered, the ad has been remixed, and some fans aren’t happy with updated result.
The classic commercial features Kisses as Christmas bells while playing along to the tune of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” but the 2020 version did something different. Instead, the new commercial is called “Bells to Blossom.” While it still features the first few seconds of the original commercial where Kisses play along to the classic Christmas song, a kid reaches into frame to grab one of the Kisses. The joyful child alongside her father uses the Kisses for peanut butter blossom cookies in the new commercial.
Watch the classic version below:
Now check out the new version below.
Fans of the classic commercial have mobilized and demanded that Hershey Co. to play the original. Hershey has responded to the fan reactions and demands on Twitter, stating that both the original and new commercials will continue to air this year.
While the new commercial has recently premiered, Hershey also further clarified with Today Food that the classic commercial actually has aired this year too—up until Monday, Nov. 23 to be exact. With social media’s backlash and Hershey announcing that both ads will continue to air, fans won’t have to worry about not seeing the classic.
“We made the decision to make a slight update to the original that kept the opening holiday melodies and incorporated another holiday tradition, baking — melding together these two time-honored traditions. From playing the bells to baking peanut butter blossoms, it’s Hershey’s Kisses that have stood the test of time.”
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.’”
For 30 years (prior to 2020), the commercial has remained mostly unchanged. Hershey has only made changes to enhance the quality of the commercial—including tweaks to the ad’s tagline and updating graphics in high-definition in 2016, as TODAY reported.
Hershey Community Archives lists the Kisses as Christmas bells commercial as the company’s longest-running, and from most fan reactions, it’s definitely beloved as is.
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