Kraft Heinz’s latest Philadelphia campaign aims to reposition the cream cheese as the ideal dip for snacking, shifting the product away from its breakfast and pastry origins. Navjit Dhillon, brand manager at Kraft Heinz, said the work is the brand’s first major project since 2023.
Dubbed “Irresistibly Fluffy,” the campaign highlights the dippable light texture of Philly Whipped cheese as well as its Canadian roots. The creative assets represent a shift from past efforts, which featured people spreading the cream cheese on breakfast goods. The new hero video depicts a fluffy cloud following the main character that eventually reveals itself to be a tub of the product.
The campaign will run until September 30 on connected TV, online and social media platforms including Meta, Pinterest and TikTok. Additional media buys include The Weather Network and Retail Media through Loblaw Advance.
Carat is in charge of the media buy, with Rethink on creative and Heads+Tales on PR and influencer marketing.
Dhillon tells Media in Canada that the media strategy has shifted away from traditional ads, instead targeting snack-related and contextually relevant channels like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest and The Weather Network to effectively reach millennial snackers in their everyday moments. Compared to previous campaigns, Philadelphia is also boosting its connected TV investment, noting that Canadians commonly watch TV while snacking.
“Our strategy is to own guilt-free ‘little treat’ moments, utilizing contextually relevant targeting to be top-of-mind during quick snacking occasions,” Dhillon says. “Think: scrolling for inspo, checking the weather or watching your favourite short-form entertainment.”
Changing the media plan was key as the brand aims to capture Canadians’ attention in the snacking segment, which continues on an upward trend.
According to the company, citing the “Innova Now & Next Consumer Snacking Trends 2024” report, snacking is on the rise in Canada and the U.S., driven by convenience and the need to satisfy rapid appetites. Younger customers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are driving this trend, frequently snacking more than once a day.
“Launching now allows us to meet this growing demand and reposition Philly Whipped as the perfect everyday dip,” Dhillon says, noting that they are targeting millennial snackers who enjoy Philadelphia cream cheese but typically opt for other brands for their dips.
“Driving a new-ish behaviour on Whipped is our way to grow penetration on the brand and capture the attention of new consumers,” he adds.
The brand is aiming to reach 80% of its English millennial family target over the campaign flight. Most of its CTV, social and digital plans will be optimized for reach and completed views.
