As the countdown begins to the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Hershey’s is stepping back into the brand spotlight with its first major campaign since 2018. Instead of centering performance, rankings or podium finishes, the American confectionery icon is choosing a different emotional register: happiness.
Developed by The Martin Agency, the new platform, Hershey’s. It’s Your Happy Place, positions both sport and chocolate as shared sources of simple, human joy. The message marks a deliberate shift from traditional victory-driven sports storytelling toward a more intimate narrative about why people fall in love with sport in the first place.
“Happiness Is the real gold”
The campaign’s first activation, titled Happiness Is the real gold, unfolds through a documentary-style film featuring five US Olympic and Paralympic athletes alongside members of their families. Rather than spotlighting medals or competition footage, the film focuses on personal memories, emotional reunions and reflections on childhood moments that sparked each athlete’s passion.
The tone is quiet, warm and reflective. Viewers are invited into locker rooms, living rooms and training spaces where success is measured less by records than by the ability to keep enjoying the journey. In this framing, fulfillment replaces the podium as the ultimate achievement.
A strategic return for Hershey’s
For Hershey’s, this launch represents more than a new campaign. It signals a renewed long-term brand investment tied to one of the world’s most visible sporting events. By aligning its return with the Olympic and Paralympic movement, the brand is anchoring its narrative in values that resonate beyond competition: connection, perseverance and emotional reward.
The creative choice also reflects a broader evolution in sports marketing. Audiences increasingly gravitate toward stories that reveal the person behind the performance. Hershey’s taps into that shift by highlighting what remains when the crowd noise fades: the relationships, memories and small moments that sustain motivation.
Chocolate, sport and emotional territory
By linking the sensory pleasure of chocolate with the emotional fulfillment of sport, Hershey’s extends its equity beyond indulgence into the territory of well-being. The brand positions itself not as a celebration treat reserved for winning moments, but as a companion to everyday happiness — before the race, after practice, or in quiet moments shared with family.
The campaign was released in United States in January 2026 and is credited to The Martin Agency. It launches with film as its lead medium, setting the tone for what is expected to be a broader brand presence in the build-up to the Games.
Beyond the podium
With Happiness Is the real gold, Hershey’s reframes the Olympic narrative around emotional authenticity. In doing so, it joins a growing group of brands seeking to redefine success not by outcomes, but by the feelings that endure long after the finish line.
As preparations for 2026 continue, Hershey’s is staking out a clear position: in sport, as in life, the moments that matter most are often the ones that simply make us happy.
