Ore-Ida’s first ads in 5 years emphasize consistency in an uncertain world

Dive Brief:

Ore-Ida, the frozen potato brand owned by Kraft Heinz, launched its first ad campaign in five years to refresh its image with consumers, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
Developed with agency Johannes Leonardo, “Deliciously Predictable” includes revamped packaging and creative centered on the “excitement of certainty.” Musical ads use trippy, fairy tale-style visuals to get across messaging around consistency in an otherwise uncertain world.
The reworked packaging will hit store shelves in April 2024, spanning the brand’s portfolio and placing a larger emphasis on the crispiness of products like french fries. A makeover for Ore-Ida, which is over 70 years old, is part of a larger push from Kraft Heinz to breathe new life into its legacy packaged foods lineup.

Dive Insight:

Ore-Ida is stepping out of a quiet period on the marketing front with a new look and creative platform that tout the consistency consumers can expect when picking up its products. The brand, which is known for its french fries, joins a list of over a dozen Kraft Heinz offerings, including Jell-O and Kraft Singles, that have implemented refreshes in recent years to keep pace with shifting consumer tastes. Johannes Leonardo has aided in many of these initiatives, including an overhaul of Oscar Mayer in 2021.

Ore-Ida had generated over $1 billion in annual retail sales as of September 2023, according to data shared by the brand. The label also commands 96% brand awareness among consumers, per a Morning Consult Brand Health survey. Still, Kraft Heinz clearly sees room for future growth and a need to shake up the label’s marketing.

As with other Kraft Heinz refreshes of late, Ore-Ida’s “Deliciously Predictable” adds a more colorful pop to packaging and advertising. An anthem spot directed by Will Wightman and BlinkInk begins with a young couple in a kitchen waiting for their french fries to be done in the oven. The man references Ore-Ida’s old slogan — “When it says Ore-Ida, It’s All-Righta!” — much to his partner’s chagrin before the camera pans to the window and the commercial shifts into a full-blown musical, complete with singing trees and animals and a sprinkling of cartoon characters amid the live-action scenes. The creative will be supported on digital and social channels and includes shorter 15-second vignettes.

Ore-Ida’s messaging aligns with sister brands like Kraft macaroni and cheese in putting a renewed focus on comfort and value and making a stronger overture to shopper groups like millennials. Kraft Heinz received a sales bump earlier in the pandemic but is now grappling with inflationary challenges that have affected pricing, which has driven away some budget-conscious consumers.

Kraft Heinz is undergoing transitions at the leadership level as well. CEO Miguel Patricio, a former marketer, is stepping down. The executive will replaced by Carlos Abrams-Rivera, currently the firm’s North American president, starting Jan. 1.