Hershey's celebrates 'sheroes' across SEA with interactive AI platform

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Hershey's has launched its 'She inspires' campaign in Southeast Asia (SEA), aimed at celebrating the contributions of women in everyday life. The initiative seeks to honour both prominent figures and lesser-known women recognised for their acts of love and kindness.

It also aims to foster community empowerment alongside individual celebration. As part of the campaign, each limited-edition Hershey's bar will include a QR code that leads to an interactive platform, where users can nominate their "sheroes".

Utilising an AI-powered tool, consumers can then create personalised appreciation cards by uploading a photo of their nominee and clicking on unique qualities to generate a card and customised poem that matches the personality of their "shero". The campaign was created in collaboration with KRDS Digital.

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"There are many women in our lives making remarkable contributions and each of their actions, big or small, makes a difference. The inspiration we need has always been right next to us and we are proud to honour the 'sheroes' near and dear to us," said Kamy Devaguptapu, marketing director at Hershey's India and APAC.

"The iconic Hershey’s packaging celebrates women who are part of our everyday lives and inspire us in more ways than one, and I hope through this initiative, we inspire our consumers to celebrate their Sheroes and contribute to their moments of goodness. This is an opportunity to recognize the extraordinary women in our lives. We are excited to see consumers discover our unique bars on store shelves and pick up a handful to share with the women who inspire them. Handing someone a ‘she inspires’ bar is such a small gesture, but the meaning is immeasurable," she added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sunny Johar, managing director, KRDS Southeast Asia said that technology, when used thoughtfully, can turn simple moments into something meaningful. "Instead of cookie-cutter greeting cards filled with platitudes, we wanted to create a platform that lets users customise their wishes for their loved ones and create something one-of-a-kind worth saving," said Johar.

"Working with Hershey’s on the ‘She Inspires’ campaign gave us the chance to bring that to life. By blending AI with a personal touch, we created an experience that lets people celebrate their 'sheroes' in a way that feels genuine and joyful. As a team of creative thinkers that love to deliver delightful experiences, we’re not just building a microsite, we’re crafting a meaningful way to honour the inspiring women who uplift us all," she added.

This isn't the first time Hershey's has spotlighted women in its campaign. In 2022, the company highlighted the words "SHE" at the centre of the iconic milk chocolate bar as part of Women's History Month celebrations in its #CelebrateSHE campaign. According to the brand at the time, the Hershey's bar's packaging was a reminder to celebrate the impact that “SHE” makes.

Other brands have also leveraged AI in its campaigns in recent times. In November last year, Telekom Malaysia (TM) was recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records for creating the largest AI-generated choir. The AI-generated choir featured a 360-degree spatial audio experience with 10,194 Malaysian voices as they sung a rendition of iconic Malaysian song Gemuruh.

The immersive experience enabled listeners to move their mobile phones from left to right to hear thousands of voices in 17 different language and dialects, making them feel as if they are in the center of a live performance.

However, AI integration in campaigns hasn't always been met with enthusiasm from consumers. The most prominent AI-led campaign that was met with backlash in recent times was Coca-Cola's remake of its holiday ad. The AI-generated ad saw largely negative comments with many saying they found it "distasteful", "scary", "soul-less" and "uninspiring". Some even said it looked "cheap" and that it did not bring forth the feelings that holiday ads should.

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