Kisses attempts to smother M&M's; Hershey takes aim at Masterfoods' $1 billion candy-coated franchise.(Hershey Foods Corp.)

Advertising Age, August, 2005 by Thompson, Stephanie

Byline: STEPHANIE THOMPSON

Look out M&M's: Hershey Foods is plotting a direct attack on the nearly $1 billion franchise with candy-coated Kissables, the first move in a bold extension plan to topple the Masterfoods megabrand.

Shaped like Hershey's Kisses but bite-size and coated in familiar red, blue, yellow, green and orange hues with similarly colorful bags, Kissables is expected to be the base line for a variety of extensions a la M&M's, which has been skillfully extended over the years to include Minis, Megas and Peanut varieties among others. The strategy, according to executives close to Hershey, is to move Kisses beyond home candy dishes into take-along snacks with a variety of sizes and package types that cater to different occasions.

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