Most candy doesn't get a starring role in one of the highest-grossing films ever made. Reese's Pieces did, and the story of how that happened is a genuinely famous piece of advertising history, not just a sweets footnote.
Built on the back of Hershey
Harry Burnett Reese was a former Hershey employee who set up the H.B. Reese Candy Company and launched the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in 1928. His company was eventually absorbed into Hershey in 1963, and it was under Hershey that Reese's Pieces launched in 1978, a candy-shelled peanut butter sweet pitched as a direct alternative to M&M's.
The E.T. deal that changed advertising
In 1982, Universal Pictures wanted a candy for the scene in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial where Elliott lures the alien out of hiding. The studio reportedly approached Mars first, hoping to use M&M's, and Mars turned it down. Hershey said yes to Reese's Pieces instead, and the resulting on-screen exposure became one of the most cited product placement success stories in advertising history.
Why the format works
Reese's Pieces take the candy shell format popularised by M&M's and swap the chocolate centre for peanut butter, giving a distinctly peanut-forward flavour rather than a chocolate one. It's a small change that gives the product its own identity rather than reading as a straight copy.
Where to find them
Reese's Pieces sit firmly in our American candy collection alongside the rest of the Reese's range.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Reese's Pieces linked to E.T.?
They featured in the 1982 film after Mars declined to use M&M's in the same scene, becoming a landmark product placement.
What's the difference between Reese's Pieces and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?
Cups are peanut butter inside a chocolate shell; Pieces are candy-shelled peanut butter bites, closer to M&M's in format.
Who created Reese's?
Harry Burnett Reese, a former Hershey employee, who launched the original Peanut Butter Cup in 1928.