The Kansas City-based snack cake company has embarked on a patriotic promotion in alliance with the American Red Cross.
Do your bit
It has reintroduced its Red, White & Blue Twinkies and Star Spangled CupCakes to entice consumers to participate in a photographic promotion that supports the country’s armed forces.
Hostess is inviting consumers to take photographs incorporating the American flag and post them with the hashtag #HostessSupportsRedCross on Twitter, Instagram or www.hostesscakes.com/redcross.
For each photo posted, Hostess has pledged to donate $1 – up to $50,000 – to the American Red Cross Service.
The hotesscakes.com site will feature a mosaic of all the photo submissions, as well as tracking how the fundraising is proceeding.
National icon
According to Burke Raine, Hostess Brands senior VP and chief marketing officer, Hostess has been intrinsically linked with American pop culture for almost a century.
“As such, it’s important to give back to the community and, to be honest, there is nothing more Red, White and Blue than supporting the men and women who have answered their country’s call to duty,” added Koby Langley, senior vice president for Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross.
Donate blood
In addition to the social media fundraising, Hostess is donating products to Red Cross Blood Donation Centers across the US to hand out free to everyone who donates blood and platelets.
The Red, White & Blue Twinkies and Star Spangled CupCakes are decorated with patriotic sprinkles, frosting and coloring, and will feature co-branded packaging and retail displays to further promote the American Red Cross. The Twinkies and CupCakes are available in grocery stores nationwide in June and July.
Spark Alliance Marketing worked with Hostess Brands and the American Red Cross to conceptualize and execute the campaign.