Halloween: the time of year when children can dress up as their heroes and favorite characters to get candy, and college students spend the night partying without remorse. 

However, I want to bring us back to the good ole days… back when the only things on our mind were dressing up as superheroes and vampires while collecting our rich, chocolatey gold. 

Some would argue that the best part about Halloween is the costumes, as many people dress up with friends or significant others. However, I would contend that the candy currency is the true reason for the season. 

Candy was and still is king, and it was always a race between my buddies and I to see who could get the most candy.

That being said, there are plenty of timeless Halloween classic candies, but there is no better Halloween candy than Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. 

Sure, some would argue that candy corn, Hersey’s Chocolate and Starbursts are the best candies, and they would have a decent argument. Unfortunately for those people, those candies are no match for the sweet, peanut buttery goodness that is Reese’s. 

When you think of Halloween, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is the first and best candy that comes to mind. This is due, in large part, to the absurd amount of money that Reese’s has poured into Halloween advertisements throughout the years. 

Reese’s has been heavily advertising the season of Halloween for over five decades now, as their first Halloween commercial premiered in 1980. 

Since this premiere, Halloween has been a staple of Reese’s advertising plan, as they took this momentum and ran with it to become the top Halloween candy.

According to Key Marketing Knowledge (KMK) Media Group, Reese’s ran almost 12,000 ads during the month of October in 2020, while the next closest candy competitor (Hershey’s Kisses) ran just over 8,000 ads.

Some people may think that M&M’s are the top dogs when it comes to candy advertising, but KMK’s data shows that Reese’s outspends M&M’s. Reese’s ranks 57th in national television advertisement spending, while M&M’s rank 61st. Although these spending numbers are nearly identical, Reese’s produced four times as many commercials as M&M’s during October. 

Reese’s is able to separate itself from its competitors because of this commitment to advertisement and the sweet goodness that is the taste of the candy itself, and this is why it is my favorite and subjectively the best Halloween candy!