How Hershey’s Won Hearts at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Hershey’s has launched its first major brand campaign in eight years, timed perfectly for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The "Happiness is the Real Gold" platform, developed by The Martin Agency, moves away from traditional podium-focused narratives to celebrate the everyday moments of joy that define an athlete’s journey. By highlighting personal routines, family traditions, and the unscripted emotional reunions of Team USA stars like Erin Jackson and Jason Brown, Hershey’s aims to reinvigorate its flagship brand as a symbol of shared joy rather than just a sweet treat.

iSpot Creative Assessment data shows that this "message-over-podium" strategy is resonating strongly as a brand builder. While the campaign’s documentary-style storytelling successfully forged deep emotional connections with viewers, it also navigated a delicate balance between heartfelt inspiration and functional product persuasion.

Top 5 Key Takeaways from Hershey’s "Happiness is the Real Gold" Campaign

• Exceptional Emotional Resonance: The :30 "Happy Beats First Place" spot successfully generated rare levels of Heartfelt, Inspiring, and Wholesome responses. Viewer sentiment was overwhelmingly positive toward the focus on family support systems, proving that authentic, unscripted moments can cut through the noise of high-stakes sports advertising.
• Strong Brand Cementing: The campaign served as a powerful brand reminder, with the :30 spot achieving an 86% unaided recall for Hershey's—outpacing category benchmarks by +7 points. This ensures that the positive "emotional halo" of the Olympics is correctly attributed to the brand.
• Message vs. Product Tension: While the message was the standout "Single Best Thing" for 32% of viewers (+23 points above norm), intent to act remained at normative levels (60% Top 2 Box). This suggests that while the storytelling is highly effective for brand building, the chocolate occasionally felt more like a prop than the protagonist.
• Optimizing Length for Impact: iSpot data reveals that the :30 "Happy Beats First Place" version drove the strongest purchase intent among the general population compared to the longer :60 cut. For higher-priced media environments like the Opening Ceremony, the :30 spot proved to be the "sweet spot" for balancing reach and persuasion.
• Target Audience Sweet Spots: The campaign's emotional appeal captivated female viewers and boomer males (50+) most effectively. Meanwhile, the shorter :15 "Erin Jackson" spot emerged as a valuable tactical option for resonating with younger audiences (16-20) and males under 50.

Hershey’s "Happiness is the Real Gold" is a masterclass in long-term platform building, successfully pivoting the brand from tactical candy sales to a deeper cultural purpose. By leveraging the scale of the 2026 Winter Olympics, the brand has created a timely and human campaign that prioritizes long-term brand equity. To maximize ROI in the remaining weeks of the Games, Hershey’s should continue to favor the :30 cuts for broad reach while exploring tighter integration of product benefits in upcoming creative for other tentpole events like the World Cup.