Perspective

How Reese's Pieces Landed Its Big Break With Help From the Alien Who Wanted to Go Home

When Mars Inc. passed on E.T., the opportunity went to Hershey's

a bag of reese's pieces
Reese's Pieces has an interesting history, which includes its own prominent movie cameo.Courtesy of Hershey's
By Robert Klara

October 26, 2020

In honor of Halloween, it’s time to tell the strange story of how one of America’s favorite candies got its big break.

Click for more from this issue

This story first appeared in the Oct. 26, 2020, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Robert Klara

Robert Klara is a senior editor, brands at Adweek, where he specializes in covering the evolution and impact of brands.

Recommended articles
Related Articles

Brand Marketing

How the Hollywood Sign Went From Temporary Billboard to Symbol of America’s Showbiz Capital

By Robert Klara

A Lincoln with doors open

Perspective

Once a Symbol of Luxury, Lincoln Is Getting a Second Wind With Millennials

By Robert Klara

Perspective

JBL, the Legendary Audio Brand That Walloped Woodstock, Is Still Packing a Punch

By Robert Klara

Brand Marketing

How Wiffle Ball Has Endured Without Advertising, Licensing or Product Placement

By Robert Klara

Microlearning
View All


How to Use Video at Every Stage of the Customer Journey


Maximize the Value of First-Party Data for Today and Tomorrow


Why Marketers Need Collaborative Work Management


The Keys to Building Your Customer Identity Framework

You Might Like


Are Deals and Savings the Best Way to Reach Uncertain Consumers?

By Matthew Tilley, Senior Director of Content Marketing, Vericast


Busting 5 Common Myths About AI in Content Creation

By Connatix


Dealing With Data Depreciation the Right Way

By PwC x Adobe


Why Nielsen’s Failure Is an Opportunity for the Industry

By Kasha Cacy, Global CEO, ENGINE