Fancy a Chocolate & Peanut Butter Education?
That’s what is being offered by Reese’s University- assuming such an institution exists- in a campaign that blurs the line between fact and fiction in a way that will make your head spin. To put it bluntly and crudely- and pardon my language- this campaign is a gigantic mindf**k. On the surface you have what has the look and feel of a serious promotion. Yet for every instance that it appears to assert a truth, there is another that makes you wonder if someone is pulling your leg.
Take the press release for example. It starts off with the headline:
Reese's University Announces Open Enrollment for the First Time in History
Yet three lines into it, you have this:
The storied institution, known as a destination for those with impressive taste and ambitious appetites, will carefully skim all applications and accept 99.99% of aspiring students.
There’s more:
Ever think about how great it would be to be a student at a school with endless opportunities for fun? Ever wish Reese’s had its own college? At Reese’s University, life is meant to be lived, not overthought.
And then there’s this clarifying footnote:
Reese’s University is a chocolate and peanut butter research-focused university based in Round Ridge, Pa. It offers a cutting-edge curriculum in the confectionery arts and sciences and robust extracurriculars that suit the needs of every student. With a 99.99% acceptance rate, and a perfect graduation rate, Reese’s U consistently ranks as the most delicious university a student can attend.
Founded in 1923, Reese’s U is home to accomplished faculty and staff, all dedicated to creating an environment that supports students' impeccable taste and ambitious appetites. They believe there is no limit to what a student can achieve at Reese's U. The collegiate institution's creed, “Peanutum en Chocolux,” puts it best: chocolate and peanut butter, a perfect combination.
*Our lawyers want you to know Reese's University is not a real University.
**Based on their inability to have a good time, it's obvious that our lawyers did not attend Reese's University.
That’s not all. There’s also a campaign website and a video that do an equally perfect job of mixing fantasy and reality- both in words and imagery.