Prior to the advent of Kisses chocolates, Hershey had a molded confection called Sweethearts, characterized by a conical shape with a heart-shaped indentation at its base. The inception of Hershey's Kisses Chocolates occurred in 1907, produced by the Hershey Chocolate Company in Derry, Pennsylvania.
These petite chocolate pieces exhibit a distinctive conical shape, often compared to flat-bottomed teardrops. In the initial production phase from 1907 to 1921, Kisses chocolates were individually enveloped in foil, and each package included a square of tissue paper identifying it as a Hershey’s product.
The Hershey Company developed a machine capable of automatically fashioning the teardrop shape using a nozzle. The machine efficiently placed each Kiss onto a conveyor belt in a sequential manner.
In 1921, Hershey registered a trademark for the name "HERSHEY'S KISSES." To counter increasing competition, The Hershey Company (formerly Hershey Chocolate Company) designed wrapping machinery capable of incorporating a visual product marker, known as a plume, tag, or flag, in August 1921.
Milton S. Hershey obtained a registered design trademark (Reg. 0186828) in 1924 for the "foil-wrapped conical configuration with plume," which encompassed the distinctive paper plume extending from the top of the aluminum foil wrapper.
The production of Kisses Chocolates extended from 1907 to 1942, with a hiatus during World War II due to aluminum rationing. During the nearly six-year absence, Hershey reconfigured its Kisses production equipment to manufacture chocolate D-Rations for the US Military.
In 1962, the company commenced wrapping Kisses in red and green foils for the Christmas season, and the introduction of pink and red Valentine varieties, now commonly found in supermarkets during this month, took place in 1986.
Hershey's Kisses Production History
