Feb 27, 2007 6:04 AM, PROMO Xtra

Forget snowstorms. Think s’mores.

The Hershey Co. and Kraft Foods are collaborating on a joint campaign to boost s’mores consumption this summer. Their version of the classic recipe uses Hershey’s chocolate bars and two Kraft brands: Honey Maid graham crackers and Jet-Puffed marshmallows.

The campaign breaks in April with in-store merchandising, on-pack cross-promotion and national advertising. A four-month mobile tour will bring s’mores samples to consumers across the country from May through September.

National TV breaks at the end of May. An FSI and an ad in Kraft’s food & family magazine contribute to the campaign. A dedicated Web site, SmoresFun.com also supports the effort.

Hershey used the same URL for its own s’mores campaign last year, awarding a grand-prize “backyard s’mores package” including camping gear, a backyard fire pit, a picnic basket, board games and a s’mores kit (without specifying the brand of graham crackers and marshmallows). Five hundred first-prize winners got a Hershey-branded s’mores maker, an electric appliance that toasts marshmallows.

Meanwhile, Hershey is addressing kids’ health as well as their sweet tooth. This summer Hershey will expand it 32-year-old fitness program, the Hershey's Track & Field Games, with an expanded grassroots program, a Web site upgrade and the formation of a hall of fame.

Hershey aims to reach 500,000 kids ages 9 to 14 in the U.S. and Canada this year through the program. Kids compete in local, district, state and provincial meets from April through July. The five top athletes from each state (and each of Canada’s 10 provinces) will compete in the finals, held Aug. 2-5 in Hershey, PA. Hershey will unveil its new Hall of Fame during the competition.

Also during the finals, Hershey will host a 5K run/walk that will award a $5,000 grant to the top school group or club that participates in the race. Families who have three generations complete the race can win a one-year family pass to HersheyPark amusement park, a $100 gift certificate for Hershey’s Chocolate World, and a tour of the plant.

Hershey executes the track and field program through tie-ins with the USA Track and Field Partnership (for regional competitions, and appearances by track and field stars Carl Lewis, Monique Henderson, Sonya Richards and Bershawn Jackson at local meets), and the National Recreation and Park Association (for local competitions). The company also is upgrading the program’s Web site, HersheyTrackandField.com.

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