Dive Brief:

• Haribo this week introduced an augmented reality (AR) lens on photo-sharing app Instagram that makes adults sound like they're speaking in a kid's voice, per an announcement.
• Instagram users who play with the "Kids' Voices" lens have a chance to win a sweepstakes that will award a year's supply of Haribo's gummy candy to five randomly selected people. The brand is asking people to share videos of themselves using the AR lens, which can be found at its profile page on Instagram, in public posts or stories with the @HariboUSA handle and #HariboSweepstakes hashtag by Dec. 18.
• The activation is part of the latest multichannel extension of Haribo's "Kids' Voices" campaign that has run for the past six years. The brand also is airing 15- and 30-second spots that show grown-ups expressing their love for Haribo Gold-bears candy in children's voices until Feb. 1 on a wide range of TV networks. The company worked with creative agency Quiet Storm on the commercials, per the announcement.

Dive Insight:

Haribo not only is blanketing media channels with the latest installment of its "Kids' Voices" campaign, but also is urging people to participate with a novel use of AR lenses on Instagram. The pitch-shifting technology in the lens makes grownups sound like little kids, a transformation that's consistent with its long-running campaign that shows adults sharing the joys of gummy bears in formal settings like corporate boardrooms. By offering Instagram users a chance to win a year's supply of the candies, Haribo is urging people to share videos made with the AR lens, helping to extend the organic reach of the campaign.

Haribo's latest "Kids' Voices" campaign comes as consumers increase their candy purchases during the holiday season. A majority (91%) of U.S. consumers said they celebrate the holidays with chocolate and candy, while 80% will buy as much or more chocolate and candy than normal this year, a survey by the National Confectioners Association found. With many people looking to maintain holiday traditions even as the pandemic disrupts their plans, candy can provide simple comforts that also evoke feelings of nostalgia, according to the trade group.

Haribo is among the candy makers that have launched recent campaigns as holiday shoppers buy treats to give out as gifts. Ferrero Rocher, the chocolate brand owned by confectioner Ferrero Group, this month rolled out a multimedia effort that includes a social media challenge, along with influencer content and a TV spot. The brand's "Golden Transformation" campaign asked people to share photos and videos of their holiday traditions for a chance to win a sweepstakes. Hershey's Kisses this year updated its "Christmas bells" ad that mostly has been unchanged for the past 31 years, but faced immediate backlash on social media as consumers complained about the revision. Amid the dustup, Hershey's announced on Twitter that it will run both versions of the ad during the holiday season.