Brands are doing the extreme to stay relevant during a global pandemic.
Kraft recently announced the launch of its limited hot pink, candy-coated Mac N’ Cheese, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Candy Kraft Mac N’ Cheese is made with the same ingredients as its normal mac n’ cheese, however it comes with a candy flavor packet that turns the cheese hot pink and adds a sweet candy flavor. To get a box of this out-of-the-box mac n’ cheese, one had to go to Kraft’s website and enter a contest. The company will be giving away 1,00 boxes of the stuff to 1,000 lucky lovers.
When asked what the brand was thinking when creating this unusual product, Kraft wrote, “"There is no better way to show your love this Valentine's Day than saying 'you're the mac to my cheese.'"
This crazy Valentine’s flavor combination is not the first time since the pandemic that Kraft has added a twist to its famous mac n’ cheese. In September, Kraft came out with a pumpkin spice flavored mac n’ cheese for fall 2020.
Other brands have followed Kraft’s creative thinking in creating limited time, crazy flavors to get consumers attention. In October, Pepsico developed a mystery flavor of Mountain Dew for Halloween, called MountainVooDew, that ended up being candy corn flavored.
Food and beverage brands are developing new, unusual-flavored products that are heavily promoted on social media to stay relevant during a time where there isn’t much to do but eat, drink, and scroll through Instagram. This marketing tactic has proven successful for many brands, since consumers want to get in on weird trends and post about it on their personal social media accounts, creating a widely heard buzz. The odd flavors are rarely delicious and consumed twice but tend to be more about the experience and sharing it than liking the actual product.
The power of social media and shock-value always reign supreme, but especially during a global pandemic that forces people to connect in new ways that may not have made sense in the past.
Would you try Candy Kraft Mac N’ Cheese with a loved one this Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments!