Mediaboss Marketing

Dive Brief:

Gummi brand Haribo is bringing the sweetness this National Gummi Bear Day in an effort to uplift consumers at a time when there is an ongoing national discourse around the negative effects of social media. Haribos push was planned around findings from Pew Research showing most Americans get their news from social media, and from Psychology Today, which referenced a study indicating that increased exposure to positive news can insulate readers from the effects of negative news.

To help fill consumers positive-news bank, the brand for one day only and starting at 9 a.m. ET on April 27 will run its Good News Goldbears news broadcast. Leading up to the effort, consumers could call the Good News Hotline and share positive news for the chance to be featured during the effort. Haribo isnt new to playful social media efforts, having previously created an augmented reality lens on Instagram to make adult voices sound like children as part of a larger campaign.

The brand also crafted a custom print with Vans, representing a continuation of its initial collaboration with the shoe maker that was launched earlier this month. While not tied to its gummi bear day festivities, Haribo in press materials also teased a forthcoming Goldbears pack mix timed for summer.

This years National Gummi Bear Day effort marks the second such celebration for Haribo, which created the holiday last year in partnership with the National Day Calendar to honor the 100th anniversary of its iconic gelatin bear. For its initial effort, the brand hosted a year-long sweepstakes rewarding four consumers with a weeklong vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and again encouraged consumers to engage with the brand on Instagram.

Other marketers have unveiled cheeky efforts aimed at honoring an on-brand National Day. For example, mustard brand Frenchs last year partnered with artisanal donut maker Dough Donuts for a mustard-flavored donut in honor of National Mustard Day. Similarly, Applebees for National Wing Day unveiled a series of wing sauce-inspired lip glosses along with an original music video called Taste My Face.

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Haribo fills social feeds with only happy news - Marketing Dive