Ferrero to throw Kinder Bueno a welcome bash in NYC

04-Nov-2019 - Last updated on 05-Nov-2019 at 15:23 GMT

After nearly 30 years in Europe and elsewhere in the world, the $5bn Kinder Bueno brand will officially land in the US this winter.

The Italian confectioner will honor the US launch of one of its most popular products (and a $5bn brand) with an interactive popup for two days in November.

After nearly three decades of success in Europe and around the world, the popular chocolate, cream and wafer bar will hit US shelves just in time for the holiday season (RRP $1.29 per two-bar pack, $1.99 for four-bar share size).

Ferrero is calling it The Kinder Bueno Sweeteasy, where guests can travel through ‘the flavors and textures’ that comprise the iconic chocolate bar. Each ‘Sweeteasy’ room ‘brings to life’ one of the bar’s layers: milk chocolate, wafer, creamy hazelnut, and dark chocolate drizzle.

“Each element of the Sweeteasy experience is carefully crafted to mimic the individual layers of a Kinder Bueno bar, offering attendees interactive and unexpected ways to engage and share,” said Noah Szporn, VP of marketing for Kinder in North America.

Experiential marketing

Kinder is far from the only brand to explore this kind of experiential marketing – especially as a means of connecting with millennials and Gen Z. Reese’s held a similar popup earlier this year, as did Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

As shoppers continue to look online, all categories of CPG brands are seeking ways to intimately connect with consumers, and these one-off events are one way to entice an audience and nurture loyalty through memories – while gaining traction on social media.

The journey includes secret doors and a Kinder Bueno vault, according to a release, open to adults ages 21 and up. Visitors are encouraged to reserve a spot to this limited-run event online, choosing a time slot from 6pm-midnight on Friday, November 8, or 4-10pm on Saturday, November 9.

To sweeten the deal for all New Yorkers and tourists, Ferrero will dish out 2,000 free Kinder Bueno bars to fans that interact with the brand’s social media posts.

Ferrero showcased the Kinder Bueno bar and its anticipated US launch at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in May. Szporn told us the $5bn brand carries a broad appeal to kids and families: “The big reason why Bueno was next is that we really wanted to lead with our best,” he said, adding that Kinder Joy (the brand’s US version of Kinder Surprise) “set the stage for Bueno.”

Since taking the helm as CEO in 2017, Lapo Civiletti has pushed for Kinder to become a household name in the US, too.