1. Running Head: Assignment 3 1
If there is any one brand that is in need of a commercial to let the public aware that they are in
business is the Hostess Cakes brand. The year 1919 saw the introduction of the Hostess® CupCake
and six years after that Continental Baking decided to add a line of Cakes to their Wonder® bread line
to form the Hostess brand. In 1930 a baker named Jimmy Dewer created something called Twinkies®,
named after a “Twinkle Toe Shoes” billboard he saw on the way to present the product. Twinkies were
packaged in pairs and sold for a nickel, thus becoming the country's best selling snack cake.
(hostesscakes.com/about)
During the summer of 1995 Interstate Bakeries Corporation acquired Continental Baking
Company, thus creating the largest baking company in the United States. In 2009 the company
changed its name to Hostess Brands, Inc., in an effort to bring cohesion to their various product lines.
Some of the brands that are under the Hostess umbrella are Ding Dongs®, Ho Hos®, and Donettes®.
Presently the company came up with the catchphrase “The Sweetest Comeback in History”.
(hostesscakes.com/about)
In January 11, 2012 the Hostess brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The intent of the
Chapter 11is for a debtor to seek to hold the creditors at bay so that the company can reorganize a bit
under a bankruptcy court. (teamsters.org) Hostess brands was in debt and had to choose between
bankruptcy or having the workers accept a pay cut. The workers had already accepted wage cuts and
could not afford another so the company chose bankruptcy. After deciding that the goal of the
company was to sell off the assets to the highest bidder. (Isadore,O'Toole, 2012)
Creative Strategy
The creative strategy should emphasize the fact that not even bankruptcy can get rid of the
brand that many Americans have come to know and love. The tagline “The Sweetest Comeback in
History” is a nice start, but a commercials will help transmit the message because of reach and
frequency of the medium. Unless someone were to go into a store and happen to notices the Hostess

2. Running Head: Assignment 3 2
racks,hey would have no idea that Hostess products are on store shelves.
As stated before the Hostess products have been around for almost a century so they have
become a part of Americana. The brand was nearly forgotten until news reports claimed that Twinkies
was going to disappear off store shelves forever. The thought that Hostess products would never be
seen was enough to get people thinking that food products would become collectors items. Customers
at retail stores wanted to keep anything with the Hostess name on it; such as the racks and displays with
the Hostess logo.
Theme
If there is one running theme that demonstrates the commercials appeal it is youth. The
products that are distributed through the Hostess brand has youth written all over it. By tapping into
the consumers when they are young, they will associate Hostess with the joys of youth. However this
advertisement should be handled very responsibly because of the sugar content of the product. Some
people would consider marketing any sugar based products to children as irresponsible and equate the
company with tobacco advertisements that markets to kids. There is a difference in that analogy, but
critics do have a point in that this product can be dangerous to a child’s health if excessive quantities
are consumed in a short period of time. With the childhood obesity rates being what health experts
claim, the commercial should keep that in mind.
Music will only play a small role in the outcome of the commercial. A theme song would be
fitting because the most memorable commercials have theme songs. No one words would be necessary
because it is possible for a jingle to make the commercial memorable. The jingle will play at the end of
the commercial.
The commercial will feature little children because that is the target market. Also there needs to
be an adult because if none are present, then it would appear that the kids have no adult supervision.
The adult in the commercial will be older and wise in appearance, evoking the image of a village elder.

3. Running Head: Assignment 3 3
The age of the children should range from eight to eleven.
The children will be wearing clothes that resemble school uniforms while the elder/grandfather
figure will dress like he is a dust bowl farmer. They will be his grand children and one will be male
and the other one a female. The setting will be in a nice house in the suburbs with a
well maintained lawn. The outside weather will be spring/summertime so that the feeling of happiness
associated with nice weather dovetails with Hostess.
Walk Through
On a nice sunny day the old man/grandfather just finished with the yard work and he is going to
sit down for some relaxation. He looks over at the table and sees a Twinkie just lying there on the table
and contemplates eating it. After a millisecond of thought he he goes for the Twinkie when he is
interrupted by two of his grand kids entering the room. They rush to their grandfather's lap and he
begins to tell them a story. This particular story involves how he first discovered the Twinkies and the
experience associated with the memory.
His image begins in a Great Depression era setting and he is walking by a store window
shopping. He is with his father when he sees Twinkies in the window sill and has the look of
excitement on his face. He grabs his father's arm and points to the Twinkie display and begs him to go
into the store to buy Twinkies. Fade to the present day and the scene shifts to his grand kids enjoying
the story eating the Twinkies that he intended to eat. When he notices that the kids are eating the
Twinkies the kids run away from him in a friendly family way that is jovial. A close up of grandfather's
face and go to the jingle and end the commercial.
Rationale
This ties into the slogan “The Sweetest Comeback in History” because people never appreciate
something until it is gone. In the minds of the public the brand never went away: mostly because the
Hostess brand only went away for a year and a half. An appeal is made to the family as a timeless

4. Running Head: Assignment 3 4
concept of safety and comfort. The sweet comeback is the memories that people have with Hostess and
Twinkies in particular.
Script
Grandfather: What a long day? Now that I am done with all the yard work I can now sit down and
relax. (He sits down)
Grandfather: My, what have we here? Ah, good ol Twinkies. (He starts to open the wrapper then the
kids come into the scene)
Kids: Grandpa, Grandpa. (As they rush to sit on his lap).
Grandfather: Well hello kiddies, let me tell you a story about my favorite snack of all time the Twinkie.
Grandfather: It was during the mid 1930's when I spotted the display in a window. Dad will you look
at that, I bet that is the tastiest thing ever.
Great grandfather: Well son, money is so tight right now, we just can't afford it. (grandfather looks doe
eyed into his sons eye) well alright. (They go into the store and fade to present)
Grandfather: (notices the kids eating his Twenkies) Why you little rascals! (The kids run away and
then a close up of grandfather and cue the jingle.)

5. Running Head: Assignment 3 5
References
About us. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://www.hostess.com/about
Important questions and answers about the hostess bankruptcy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2013,
from http://teamsters.org
Isadore, C., & O'Toole, J. (2012, November 16). Hostess brands closing for good. Retrieved September
23, 2013, from http://money.cnn.com

6. Running Head: Assignment 3 5
References
About us. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://www.hostess.com/about
Important questions and answers about the hostess bankruptcy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2013,
from http://teamsters.org
Isadore, C., & O'Toole, J. (2012, November 16). Hostess brands closing for good. Retrieved September
23, 2013, from http://money.cnn.com