Who: Hershey’s and Anomaly, with the agency’s independent production studio Unreasonable Studios. UM for media strategy and buying.

What: An ad campaign for a new snack-sized version of Oh Henry 4:25, which was launched in 2018 with not-so-subtle cannabis-themed brand positioning: it satisfies the urge to snack that some people get five minutes after 4:20.

When & Where: The product launched in March with paid media following in late April but a new, slightly delayed, video spot has just been released for digital.

Why: Oh Henry launched its first 4:25 just before cannabis was legalized in Canada in 2018. The new 4:25 Buds reefers— sorry, refers—to the cannabis plant and the friends you can enjoy the snack with.

“We’ve learned that people can get a little bored with brownies, and certainly different people have different preferences, so we’ve designed a sweet and salty snack for a serious case of the munchies,” said Alejandro Mosquera, marketing manager of Oh Henry, in an email.

How: Oh Henry and Anomaly were ready to shoot a live-action spot with some friends sharing the random thoughts that come after 4:20 when the pandemic shut everything down, forcing them to come up with a plan B.

The resulting two-minute animated spot features trippy visuals behind a voiceover of quirky thoughts that good friends can share while enjoying a gentle cannabis high, such as who do you call if you catch Big Foot?

“The 4:25 video enables us to capture the attention of consumers with a message that is relevant to them and that aligns with what the brand stands for,” said Mosquera. “The format also allows us to integrate the brand into the story and leverage product close-ups, conveying that crunchy and chewy, sweet and salty balance that Oh Henry! consumers enjoy so much.”

What else besides the video? Oh Henry consumers are very digitally connected. “That is why we partnered with Amazon to integrate brand communication in their Twitch and FireTV platforms, which gave us the opportunity to reach cord-cutters and display the brand in emerging channels that aligned with consumer preferences,” said Mosquera. Oh Henry was the first advertiser on Amazon FireTV in Canada.

Quote: “This mesmerizing kaleidoscope of candy bars, teeth, horses, hats and grandmothers was designed to be enjoyed five minutes after 4:20. We made sure to conduct the consumer research personally. Due diligence matters.” —Marko Pandza, associate creative director at Anomaly.