Hershey's

2024

Reese's Pep Rally

Services:

Art Direction

Graphic Design

Events & Experiential

Retail Design

Branding

In January 2024, I was commissioned by the Hershey’s team to design the backdrop and supporting collateral for the 2024 Reese’s Pep Rally—an energetic, in-store activation celebrating the bold, playful spirit of the brand. The project began with developing the overarching art direction in close collaboration with the Hershey’s creative team. Together, we set out to translate the high-energy atmosphere of a pep rally into a dynamic 2D visual experience that would come to life within their retail environment. Our goal was to capture the excitement, movement, and school spirit-inspired charm of the event while ensuring the artwork integrated seamlessly into the existing store layout. Drawing inspiration from varsity graphics, stadium banners, and retro sports aesthetics, I crafted a vibrant visual system filled with bold typography, stylized motion lines, and layered Reese’s elements that reinforced the campaign’s personality. Every component—from the large-scale backdrop to the smaller collateral pieces—was designed to feel cohesive, immersive, and unmistakably Reese’s, transforming the retail space into a spirited rally zone that blended nostalgia with brand storytelling.

Role: Senior Designer @ Hershey | Collaborators: Matt Diehl

01 Background

For the Reese’s Pep Rally event, I was responsible for designing a wide range of event graphics that brought the brand’s spirited identity to life. This included large-scale wall graphics for the main stage backdrop, a custom tuba cover, oversized event buttons, branded signage, and two themed floats—one for Reese’s U and another for the iconic Reese’s Big Cup. Each piece was designed to feel bold, cheeky, and celebratory, capturing the energy of a pep rally while staying true to Reese’s playful visual language. I approached the design process with a layered strategy—starting with quick concept sketches and visual references, then building out high-impact mockups that explored scale, texture, and color blocking. Throughout the month-long project, I held weekly creative reviews with the Hershey’s team, refining each asset based on feedback and ensuring the graphics aligned with retail specifications and production guidelines. From the curvature of the tuba cover to the movement lines on the float designs, every detail was carefully considered to maintain consistency across touchpoints and amplify the sense of motion and joy. The result was a fully branded visual experience that transformed the store into a vibrant, school-spirit-inspired celebration—equal parts nostalgia, fun, and full-on Reese’s pride.

02 Process

The 2024 Reese’s Pep Rally campaign was a vibrant success, energizing both the retail environment and customer engagement with its bold, immersive design. The in-store experience drew strong foot traffic, with the eye-catching stage backdrop, oversized floats, and cheeky branded elements—like the custom tuba cover and collectible buttons—serving as both photo-worthy moments and conversation starters. Customers interacted enthusiastically with the space, sharing user-generated content across social media platforms and amplifying the campaign’s reach organically. The cohesive visual identity and high level of detail created a memorable brand experience that resonated with shoppers of all ages. Internally, the campaign was celebrated by the Hershey’s team as a standout seasonal activation that successfully merged storytelling, playfulness, and brand pride—all while driving excitement around the Reese’s product line in-store.

03 Results

Previous
Previous

Nespresso Co-Dev Window Designs

Next
Next

Nespresso Pop Café Activations