(WHTM) – For the first time ever in the United States, the Hershey Company is selling Kit Kats in the shape of something other than a traditional Kit Kat “finger.”
Kit Kat Santas, now available at retailers nationwide, are instead shaped like festive little Santa Clauses, with the familiar Kit Kat branding stamped into the bottom of his boots.
The candies are made with the same ingredients as a traditional Kit Kat, but feature an “even crispier wafer-to-chocolate ratio,” according to the Hershey Company.
“Our first-ever shape, Kit Kat Santas, builds on the Kit Kat brand’s product portfolio to offer a new way to bring fun to consumers,” Scott Sorensen, the associate manager at Kit Kat, is quoted as saying in a press release issued this week. “With an even crispier wafer-to-chocolate ratio, this seasonal twist on our traditional Kit Kat bar is sure to become a newfound annual ritual, giving fans a taste of more of what’s to come from the brand.”
Kit Kat Santas are currently only available at retailers in 8.85-ounce snack-size bags, according to the release. They are also being sold online as part of a gift set including festive Hershey Bars and Reese’s Cups.
In debuting its new Kit Kat Santas, the Hershey Company is applying a strategy that has proved successful for its Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which have long been available in holiday-inspired shapes during Easter, Halloween and Christmas.
The introduction of Kit Kat Santas, meanwhile, does indeed mark the first time Kit Kat has branched out from its traditional “finger” shape in the U.S. — but not necessarily the first time it’s happened globally. Nestlé, which owns the Kit Kat brand throughout the rest of the world, has previously marketed Kit Kat candies for overseas markets in the shapes of vampires, witches and mummies, among other creepy creatures.