Why SHE and not HER? Hershey's IWD packaging raises grammar questions

The Hershey's brand is highlighting the words "SHE" at the centre of the iconic milk chocolate bar as part of Women's History Month celebrations in its #CelebrateSHE campaign. According to the brand, the Hershey's bar's packaging is a reminder to celebrate the impact that “SHE” makes.

While the limited-edition "Celebrate SHE" bars won praise from many consumers and influencers in the Twitterverse, an interesting thread that emerged was the grammatical inaccuracy and the pondering of why Hershey’s didn’t just use the word “HER” which at the start of the brand name.

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While some have said the use of "her" would have had more grammatical accuracy and would still have gotten the point across, others have tried to come to the brand's rescue saying that having "she" in a different colour makes "her" stand out and so the brand did it in a way emphasise the object pronoun. Meanwhile, Tania Tai, MD at DIA Brands Malaysia, told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it's just semantics. "Honestly, 'Her' and 'She' are both interesting wordplays from an anagram perspective for a special tribute on International Women’s Day. Hershey as a brand has every right to push the boundaries a little further and cover all bases in one creative swoop," Tai explained.

According to her, “She” as a pronoun refers to the person. Hence, rightly placed in packaging to celebrate “She”, the object in a sentence. For example, She inspires, She’s strong, or She’s amazing. Whereas “Her” flexes the possessive form of “She”, to truly celebrate all the incredible things that she has done, which can become very campaign-able with a giddy array possibilities. "Let’s be open and explore, and not let semantics hold us back," Tai explained.

Similarly, Sambal Lab's partner, Jodh Dheensay, said: "Honestly, I think either would be fine. It’s an acknowledgement, not a grammar test."

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Design and packaging drama aside, as part of the campaign the brand also enlisted the help of celebrity Mindy Kaling for an ad campaign.

Earlier this week the brand also announced that the Hershey Company's #HerSHE campaign, which originated in Brazil in 2020, will be activated in seven international markets, aimed at making the invisible woman invisible. Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, the Philippines, and Saudi Arabia will transform the iconic Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar wrapper into a celebration of cultural female icons in each country, their accomplishments, and the impact they've made in their respective countries. Some of the packaging also has the word “Her” showcased in a more prominent manner.

The Hershey Company is also leveraging digital marketing partnerships to amplify women's achievements on social media. In partnership with Entreprenista, a media company and membership community dedicated to helping women-owned businesses succeed, Hershey will spotlight and celebrate inspiring women in business across the globe through a user-generated social media campaign. Five trailblazers from each market will receive a scholarship to the Entreprenista League, a community of women business owners, investors, co-founders, and thought leaders that are given access to top tier business tools and solutions

To further extend women-forward storytelling, Hershey has donated US$100,000 and is partnering with Girl Up, a nonprofit committed to advancing girls' skills, rights, and opportunities to be leaders, to amplify the voices of girls and women who are making a difference around the world on digital and social platforms. Founded by the United Nations Foundation in 2010, Girl Up's leadership development programs have impacted more than 125,000 girls through 5,000 Clubs in 130 countries and all 50 U.S. states, inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social

Hershey’s as a company has been on a journey of celebrating and investing in women in the workplace and communities. In 2021, it was named by Forbes as the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies.

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