On May 7, 1972, Hersheypark opened for it’s second season as Hersheypark. This was the first season Hersheypark would operate as a theme park – featuring three new themed regions: Carrousel Circle, Der Deitsch Platz, and Animal Garden. Hersheypark also included a new primary logo: the pinwheel.
Local Harrisburg newspaper, The Patriot News, printed a special section of its newspaper commemorating the opening of Hersheypark in 1972. The pinwheel was the featured image on the front page of the section. This was one of the most prominent displays of the logo in its earliest days.
The first use of the pinwheel logo in media appears around the Sunday, April 16, 1972. The advertisement was placed in a variety of newspapers that Sunday and into the following week across Pennsylvania. The advert promoted school class trips to Hersheypark.
The logo was designed for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company (then Hershey Estates) by Bofinger-Kaplan Advertising. Charles F. Bofinger, co-founder of the agency, is credited with not only coming up with the concept of the pinwheel logo but also renaming Hershey Park to Hersheypark.
The pinwheel stood as Hersheypark’s primary logo from 1972 until 2006. It was replaced by a Hershey’s Kiss, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hersheypark and the 100th anniversary of Hershey’s Kisses.
The return of the pinwheel
In 2018, Hersheypark management revived the pinwheel logo at an event announcing Hershey’s Chocolatetown. The logo became the primary logo for Hersheypark in 2020 after being a secondary logo in 2019.
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