Hostess® Announces Star-Spangled Line of Summertime Snacks in Conjunction with Red Cross Partnership

Hostess Pledges $1 to the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces for Each Photo Posted With #HostessSupportsRedCross

ong>Kansas City, MO – May 25, 2017 – Iconic American snack cake company, Hostess Brands LLC, has reintroduced a star-spangled line of patriotic treats, just in time for summer: Hostess® Red, White & Blue Twinkies® and Hostess® Star Spangled CupCakes. The launch is being introduced in tandem with a first-time partnership with the American Red Cross, providing consumers with a sweet way to give back this summer.

Hostess is inviting consumers to take photos incorporating an American flag and post them with the hashtag #HostessSupportsRedCross on Twitter, Instagram or directly to www.hostesscakes.com/redcross – which will also feature a mosaic of all photo submissions and a counter tracking how much has been raised. For each photo posted across these platforms Hostess will donate $1 – up to the pledged amount of $50,000 – to the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.

“We are delighted to partner with the American Red Cross in this meaningful initiative,” said Burke Raine, Hostess Brands Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Hostess is an icon that has been intrinsically linked with American pop culture for almost a century. It is important that we give back to our community – both by celebrating our national holidays and by supporting our most vulnerable citizens.”

“There is nothing more Red, White and Blue than supporting the men and women who have answered their country’s call to duty,” said Koby Langley, senior vice president for Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross. “The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces division is very fortunate to have Hostess Brands as a partner in support of the military community.”

Along with the social media fundraising, Hostess products will be donated to Red Cross Blood Donation Centers across the country for blood and platelet donors to enjoy after rolling up a sleeve. Additionally, these products in the patriotic line of treats will have co-branded packaging and retail displays to help promote the American Red Cross.

Red, White & Blue Twinkies® and Star Spangled CupCakes are festive takes on the original iconic treats, bursting with flavor and decorated with patriotic sprinkles, frosting and coloring. They will be available in grocery stores nationwide June-July.

Hostess Brands, LLC

An icon of American ingenuity, Hostess treats have been some of the world’s best known sweet baked goods for nearly a century. The category pioneer continues to lead the way in innovation, quality and creativity that captures the imagination of snack cake enthusiasts generation after generation.

Hostess Brands, LLC is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and operates bakeries in Emporia, Kansas, Columbus, Georgia and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Spark Alliance Marketing served as the agency that worked with Hostess Brands and the American Red Cross on the concept, strategy, and execution of the promotion.

For more information about Hostess products and Hostess Brands, LLC, please visit hostesscakes.com. Follow Hostess on Twitter: @Hostess_Snacks; on Facebook: facebook.com/Hostess; on Instagram: Hostess_Snacks; and on Pinterest: pinterest.com/hostesscakes.