Celebrate National Junk Food Day | Industry Insights | All MKC Content | ANA

Celebrate National Junk Food Day

Unsplash
Share        

Candy, cookies, and chips sometimes get a bad rap as "empty calories." Maybe so, but the marketing they inspire is brimful of creativity. As we prepare to celebrate National Junk Food Day on July 21, take a peek at a few of the campaigns used to promote some of the more indulgent snacks in the food pyramid.

Trolli

To appeal to gamers, Trolli brand candy worms developed a custom gaming console that let fans show their love for the treat. And as a reward, when consumers bought packages of Trolli, they received a free month-long subscription to Xbox's popular Game Pass.

McDonald's


Gamers aren't the only demographic whose cravings have been known to stray beyond kale chips and wheatgrass smoothies. McDonald's appealed to music fans with a K-pop partnership and a grouping of existing menu items framed as the favorite order of the chart-topping band BTS. Ingeniously, the effort enabled the fast-food chain to offer what felt like a glamorous new product without having to develop any new menu items.

Pringles


Sometimes, however, a familiar brand does need to reintroduce itself to fans with a new flavor — and sometimes the inspiration for that flavor is an existing QSR cuisine that already has a devoted following. Pringles, for instance, developed a limited-edition variety of the classic chip that tasted like Wendy's Baconator hamburger. Capitalizing on social media and its partnership with the fast-food chain, the brand promoted the new offering with videos on TikTok of fans dipping their new Pringles in Frosties. It's a gen Z thing.

Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix


Pringles isn't the only savory snack brand to diversify its flavor portfolio in recent years. To promote its new Cheetos Crunch Pop Mix in 2022, Frito-Lay, in a familiar move, bought a spot during the Super Bowl — but then it did something entirely unfamiliar by adapting an existing technology in a pathbreaking new way. Specifically, the brand integrated a QR code that viewers could scan during any frame of the TV ad to access a coupon for the new product.

Flamin' Hot Cheetos


TV ads are powerful, but sometimes a campaign calls for a touch of experiential marketing. Take, for instance, "Cheetos House of Flamin' Haute" campaign, which burst onto New York's Fashion Week with a runway show featuring couture designs inspired by none other than Chester Cheetah himself, including a dress made out of Cheetos.

Trident


Whereas Frito-Lay drew its inspiration from fashion, Trident found its muse in the make-up aisle. To reverse declining sales and connect with a younger demographic, the gum brand undertook a back-to-school campaign that spotlighted a partnership with gen Z favorite Baby Lips by Maybelline. To encourage consumers to associate the two brands, Trident worked with CVS to create beauty aisle displays that offered products from both in the same place.


The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.


Morgan Strawn is a senior manager of editorial and content development at ANA.

Share