Chips Ahoy, Sour Patch Kids team up to host virtual prom

Dive Brief:

Chips Ahoy and Sour Patch Kids are teaming up to host a virtual prom for high school students whose events have been canceled across the country, the company revealed in a press release.
The two Mondelēz International brands, which recently teamed up on co-branded cookie, have tapped DJ Steve Aoki to host "The Sweetest Prom Ever" virtual event. The event will be live streamed on Steve Aoki's YouTube channel, as well as on the Chips Ahoy and Sour Patch Kids YouTube, Instagram and Twitter channels at 9 p.m. ET on May 23.
Students aged 17-20 can enter to win one of the 1,000 invites the brands are giving away by entering the sweepstakes at SweetestPromEver.com. Additionally, one person will win a do-over prom event for their classmates after lockdown. To enter, consumers must submit a proposal on Instagram or Twitter, follow @ChipsAhoy and @SourPatchKids, and include @ChipsAhoy, @SourPatchKids, #SweetestPromEver and #Sweepstakes in their caption. The deadline to enter is May 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Dive Insight:

To promote its co-branded cookie, Mondelēz International is hoping to engage high school-aged consumers whose proms have been canceled because of COVID-19-related shutdowns. By hosting the event on a variety of social media channels, Mondelēz can reach these Gen Z consumers where they spend most of their time, even before the pandemic forced people to stay at home. For the entertainment, Mondelēz joins brands including Michelob Ultra and Chipotle that have tapped a popular talent in Aoki, who has 2.8 million YouTube subscribers.

Many brands have been stepping up to offer virtual events to consumers who have had to cancel or postpone milestones like graduations, weddings and proms because of the pandemic. Similar to the Mondelēz event, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Axe body spray are each hosting social media events tied to the Teen Vogue Virtual Prom on May 16. Like Chips Ahoy and Sour Patch Kids, these companies are hosting virtual proms on Instagram and running sweepstakes to win an invitation to the event.

Mondelēz International has seen a boost from the pandemic lockdowns as consumers stock up on snack food and stay at home. Glen Walter, executive vice president of Mondelēz and president of North America told Marketing Dive sister publication Food Dive that the company has seen "unprecedented demand" for its Oreo, Ritz, Triscuit and other snack offerings online as more consumers turn to e-commerce to grocery shop during the crisis.

The new Sour Patch Kids-infused Chips Ahoy is the latest limited-edition product from the brand. Chips Ahoy debuted two new cookie products back in March: one that includes Reese's Pieces and another that uses Hershey's chocolate chips. The cookie brand brought back its Chip mascot to promote the mashup products, and this latest effort taps the mascot to promote the new Chips Ahoy Sour Patch kids product to the Gen Z demographic, who are more likely to snack but prefer healthier options.