Hershey Canada has drafted Montreal-born, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (Lu Dort) as the face of a new shopper and social-led campaign for Reese’s + Nougat bar, with the candy brand leveraging its partnership with the NBA in Canada.
The campaign challenges fans to “Protect Your Reese’s + Nougat from Lu Dort,” a play on his tenacious defending.
“This is an in-store program first-and-foremost with big-bold displays to disrupt shoppers in-store in a playful way,” Heather McCahill, marketing manager for Hershey Canada, tells strategy.
McCahill adds that POS tools feature Lu Dort with a fun, defensive quote about his love for Reese’s + Nougat and also product imagery to drive appetite appeal. “The purpose of our comms in-store are really to tap into the fun, witty personality of the brand while also leaning into what Lu is most known for – blocking,” she says.
McCahill says Lu Dort is a prominent Canadian NBA guard known for his elite defensive skills and also his community involvement through the Maizon Dort Foundation, which supports education for youth in underserved communities. His bilingualism also make him relatable to a broad Canadian audience, she adds.
The campaign will be coming to all grocery and convenience and gas banners nationwide. It will go to market with net new WOW display (as pictured), danglers, dump bin, pre-pack headers and Walmart Price sign topper.
Hershey has a long standing partnership with the NBA in Canada, with Reese’s being the official chocolate of the league.
Not to mention, Canadian players in the NBA are also currently having a moment: Lu Dort and his up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder are making waves in the NBA and the Canadian senior men’s national basketball team is the most competitive its been in decades, possibly ever.
To drive further awareness of the innovation (Reese’s + Nougat) and the partnership, social posts will be shared as the target audience is very active on social media.
Salt XC is the agency behind the creative. UM led the media buy for this campaign.
