The campaign "One chocolate bar at a time," a collaboration between HP Indigo and Hershey’s launched in Brazil in 2022, leverages HP Indigo’s digital printing technology to transform packaging into a dynamic storytelling medium. The brand proposition centers on empowering brands to create tangible emotional connections through innovative, customizable packaging that celebrates women’s achievements across various fields such as science, business, sports, activism, and music. By integrating Hershey’s brand values with HP’s technological capabilities, the campaign promises not only product differentiation but also social impact by aligning packaging with the broader theme of gender equality and female empowerment.
The market strategy capitalizes on the growing consumer demand for authenticity, social responsibility, and meaningful brand narratives. Utilizing a narrative-driven approach, the campaign targets socially conscious consumers in Brazil who resonate with International Women’s Day and the broader #HerForShe movement. By collaborating with a local print service provider and highlighting exceptional women through visually compelling, digitally printed packaging, the campaign creates a unique intersection of technology, culture, and social advocacy. This approach extends Hershey’s emotional engagement beyond taste, positioning the chocolate bar as a medium for storytelling and inspiration. It also showcases HP Indigo’s ability to support niche and value-driven markets by enabling brands to differentiate in uncontested spaces through packaging innovation. The creative angle embraces a multi-industry appeal—combining electronics, technology, food, retail, and public interest—thus broadening relevance and emphasizing how technology can enable social messaging in a traditionally utilitarian product category.
FORMAT#10 ASSOCIATED USER IMAGERY — Shows a user profile the target audience can relate to or aspire to.
This campaign centers on the #HerForShe initiative, with Hershey and HP Indigo, by featuring and celebrating women’s achievements through special-edition chocolate bar packaging. Rather than focusing on a problem-solution dynamic or the mechanics of digital packaging, it brings women role models (artists, scientists, activists, etc.) to the forefront—creating aspirational, relatable user imagery for women and girls. The narrative revolves around honoring real women, lending the campaign strong alignment with the Associated User Imagery format rather than exemplary storytelling, demonstration, or symbolic approaches.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Mondelez International – Mondelez leverages its strong global portfolio of snack and confectionery brands, focusing on innovation in flavors and sustainable sourcing. It emphasizes digital engagement and personalized packaging, enhancing consumer experience through technology-driven marketing in emerging markets like Brazil.
2. Nestlé – Nestlé positions itself as a leader in nutrition, health, and wellness, combining trusted food and beverage products with digital innovation. Through sustainability commitments and localized product adaptation, it addresses Brazilian consumers' evolving preferences while integrating technology in packaging and retail.
3. Mars, Incorporated – Mars combines a broad confectionery portfolio with a strong focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing. The company prioritizes brand storytelling tied to social responsibility and uses digital tools for customized consumer engagement, reinforcing its commitment to quality and innovation.
4. LG Electronics – While not a direct food brand, LG serves as a key competitor in the electronics and technology space, offering innovative digital printing solutions and smart packaging technologies that enhance brand storytelling, targeting retailers and manufacturers with advanced packaging solutions.
5. Canon Solutions America – Competing in digital printing technology, Canon Solutions America differentiates through customized packaging solutions that promote brand narratives and sustainability. Their technology supports small and medium food producers in differentiating products via high-quality, flexible print applications.
Q: What is One chocolate bar at a time about?
A: One chocolate bar at a time is a 2022 campaign created by HP and Hershey’s, launched in Brazil, that leverages HP Indigo’s digital printing technology to transform chocolate bar packaging into a storytelling platform. Developed in collaboration with Brazilian print service provider Camargo Cia de Embalagens Ltda and agencies BETC Havas and Media.Monks, the campaign celebrates women’s achievements across science, business, sports, activism, and music. By featuring real women on limited-edition Hershey’s packaging, the campaign aims to inspire and empower consumers, aligning with the #HerForShe initiative and International Women’s Day.
Q: What creative device does One chocolate bar at a time use?
A: One chocolate bar at a time employs the Associated User Imagery format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This creative device centers the campaign on aspirational and relatable user profiles by featuring real women—artists, scientists, activists, and more—on the packaging. Rather than focusing on the mechanics of digital packaging or a problem-solution narrative, the campaign elevates role models, making them visible and accessible to women and girls. This approach forges a direct emotional connection and positions the product as a medium for inspiration and representation.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for One chocolate bar at a time?
A: The campaign proposition for One chocolate bar at a time is to empower brands to create tangible emotional connections through innovative, customizable packaging that celebrates women’s achievements. By integrating Hershey’s brand values with HP Indigo’s digital printing capabilities, the campaign targets socially conscious consumers in Brazil who value authenticity, social responsibility, and meaningful brand narratives. The initiative positions the chocolate bar as more than a product—transforming it into a storytelling platform that champions gender equality and inspires the next generation, particularly in the context of International Women’s Day and the #HerForShe movement.
Q: How does One chocolate bar at a time rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: In Clapboard’s global ad archive, One chocolate bar at a time holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 72/100. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance, as assessed by Clapboard’s curatorial authority.
Q: Who are the competitors in HP and Hershey's category?
A: In the category shared by HP and Hershey’s, key competitors include Mondelez International, which focuses on digital engagement and personalized packaging for its global snack brands; Nestlé, which combines trusted food products with digital innovation and sustainability; Mars, Incorporated, which emphasizes ethical sourcing and brand storytelling tied to social responsibility; LG Electronics, which provides advanced digital printing and smart packaging solutions for manufacturers; and Canon Solutions America, which delivers customized packaging technology supporting brand narratives and sustainability for food producers. Each competitor brings a distinct approach to innovation, digital integration, and market differentiation.