A friendly rivalry between 9-year-old Makaela De La Garza and her 7-year-old little sister, Kameryn, usually ends in sweet victory for either side – especially when the game is selling chocolate.
As faces of World’s Finest Chocolate’s latest national campaign, the sisters are melting hearts.
“We were just selling chocolates," Makaela said . "[World's Finest Chocolate] asked us to be on a commercial."
The siblings are featured as “Reign Makers” in the brand's “Let Them Reign” campaign.
"What's a 'Reign Maker'?" Kameryn asks in one of the commercials.
"It means you made those bars count." answers the narrator.
The Yeager Elementary School grade schoolers are among top sellers throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Besides fundraising, Western Region Sales Manager for World’s Finest Chocolate Daphne Kumar, says the campaign highlights how selling chocolate builds confidence, communication and entrepreneurial skills.
"It really comes back to the skills the children are going to build for life," she said. "Whether that's confidence or conquering fears on talking to new people, they're able to take those and just build from there."
The campaign also features NCAA athletes who sold chocolate bars to fundraise for their schools when they were students.
The success runs in the girls' family. In the past, their two older siblings have been top sellers for the brand.
"[I] told them all they can all be a top winner one time," said mother Jeanette Velazquez. "So far, all four of them have been."
Velazquez said her daughters, through their chocolate sales, learned to develop their entrepreneurial skills by talking to customers and persevering through rejection.
"Never give up and keep on trying," Makaela said.
The campaign itself also empowered the girls. They said media day in Dallas was an adventure.
"It was fun when we went on the plane," Kameryn said.
They soared above their fears as they flew in an airplane for the first time.
"They were very scared," Velazquez said. "But once they did it, they were super excited to be in the air."
They tried new things, like Chipotle Mexican Grill, a restaurant they previously had not tried in Corpus Christi.
They also made new friends, including fellow campaign participants. 14-year-old, Bentley, sold more than 300 boxes over five years. Nine-year-old, Noah, raised money to attend a school trip to NASA’s space center.
The girls also befriended the hair and wardrobe staff over the course of the media shoot.
"They're liking being recognized, and this whole experience is amazing," Velazquez said. "And it's for something that they love to do. They love to go out there and sell chocolate and raise money for their school and just strive to be the top of everything."
The chocolate sales benefit their school, and the experience helps invest in the girls' dreams to one day become teachers.
With their perseverance and entrepreneurial skills, it's no doubt that these "Reign Makers" have a sweet future ahead of them.
But for now, the chocolate – and the extra attention – will do just fine.
