Why do snack companies keep doing this to themselves?
Just one month after Snickers left countless customers disappointed by selling out of its limited-edition Pecan bars in a matter of hours, the candy brand is once again finding itself with chocolaty egg on its face over a promotional offer that seems to have ignited excessive demand.
Yesterday, Snickers announced it would be giving away one million fun-size Snickers bars in time for Halloween. All customers had to do, they were told, was visit the website OneMillionSnickers.com to redeem a gift card for a bag of the delicious treats. The offer was supposedly good through October 31 or “while supplies last.”
As you may have guessed, it’s the “while supplies last” part that’s hitting a snag. As of this morning, customers who went to claim the offer were being greeted by a message that said Snickers was refilling its “candy bowl,” and that they’d have to “check back shortly.”
We’re refilling our bowl right now but check back soon! Happy Halloween!
— SNICKERS® (@SNICKERS) October 25, 2019
Don’t panic just yet.
Apparently, there is still time to snag your free bag, but you may have to be quick on the draw. A spokesperson for Snickers tells me the so-called candy bowl will be refilled two more times with limited quantities today and tomorrow. Why the delay? “[T]o make sure as many people as possible have their chance to grab a bag of Snickers Fun Size, we are spreading out the redemptions over a few days,” she says via email.
How long supplies will last after that is anyone’s guess, but it sounds like you’re going to have to act fast. Snickers says it gave away 500,000 bars—half of the entire offer—”within the first hour of going live.”
Snickers says demand for the free candy “far exceeded our expectations,” but given how commonly these viral snafus happen (lookin’ at you, Popeyes), one wonders when food brands will start raising their expectations before they run out of the products people want.
At any rate, if you’re ready to try your confectionery luck, you can check out the Snickers website here.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
