Chips Ahoy! Uses ‘Stranger Things’ Tie-In To Double Down On Gen Z
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Key Facts
- Chips Ahoy! leans on new flavours, formats and collabs to court Gen Z
- Limited Stranger Things cookie is the brand’s first fruit-flavoured launch
- Brand posts 1.8% CAGR over three years and about US$1B in category-leading sales
Chips Ahoy! is in full refresh mode as Mondelēz leans on flavour and pop culture to keep a 62-year-old cookie front and centre with Gen Z snackers. After a COVID-era strategy reset, the brand has rolled out bigger cookies, gluten-free options and chewy Baked Bites cubes, all aimed at giving younger consumers more “indulgent but fun” ways to eat the classic chocolate chip.
The newest move is a limited Stranger Things collaboration built around a strawberry-filled brownie-style cookie, positioned as Chips Ahoy!’s first fruit-flavoured entry. The tie-in plugs the brand directly into a franchise that over-indexes with Gen Z, using in-store displays and social buzz to stop shoppers in their tracks and pull new fans into the franchise, not just existing loyalists.
Behind the creative, Mondelēz is clear about the business goal: widen occasions and keep Chips Ahoy! from feeling static in a crowded snack aisle. With roughly US$1 billion in annual sales and more than half of the chocolate-chip cookie market, the brand is using limited editions for buzz while building a portfolio that can flex from everyday pantry staple to culture-led drop, keeping Gen Z attention as their spending power accelerates.
