Brief:

• Kraft is offering free delivery of grilled cheese sandwiches to families visiting New York City's Times Square today (Dec. 20). Parents whose tired, overwhelmed and hungry kids are having an emotional "meltdown" can order free grilled cheese sandwiches, according to a company announcement.
• Parents can text the letters "CHZ" to 797979 with their name, location and order of up to four sandwiches to receive the delivery within two hours from a messenger carrying an insulated box labeled "Kraft Singles Emergency Grilled Cheese." The delivery is available from 12 to 6 p.m. in the vicinity around Times Square, while supplies last.
• Kraft is making 1,000 sandwiches available for delivery, according to the promotion's rules. Five Guys, City Eventions, Alison Brod Public Relations and agency Leo Burnett helped the food company develop the promotion.

Insight:

Kraft's clever text-based delivery promotion will likely brighten some people's day with warm, cheesy goodness, especially as the weather forecast calls for rain in New York today, increasing the likelihood that visiting families trudging around Times Square could use a warm sandwich.

Kraft's grilled cheese giveaway relies on a highly coordinated effort of receiving text messages and delivering freshly made sandwiches across a crowded tourist hotspot. If all runs smoothly and deliveries are actually executed within the promised two-hour timeframe, Kraft will likely elevate brand associations in the minds of consumers and lead to positive word-of-mouth mentions or social media posts with photos of the delivered sandwiches, further extending the campaign's reach beyond those that receive the warm treats. However, a campaign with many moving parts, including mobile technology, can leave a bad taste in consumers' minds if it doesn't go off smoothly, as Chipotle learned this year.

Despite that, other food brands like Knorr have tapped mobile messaging strategies to promote and deliver products to folks in urban areas. In August, the Unilever brand offered free meal kit home deliveries in New York City for National Farmers Market Week. Consumers could place orders by tweeting #KnorrToMyDoor and the carrot emoji to @Knorr. They then received a link to sign up for the free delivery and could choose between two of the Knorr One Skillet Meals. A mobile farmers market then dropped off the selection for the dish and locally grown produce, demonstrating how tying the ordering process to social media and mobile phones can lure younger tech-savvy consumers and help brands increase their digital engagement.

Kraft's one-day delivery service comes as U.S. cheese sales have fallen over the past four years as younger consumers demand healthier foods. However, a key selling point of processed cheese is "the melt," which suggests why 40% of U.S. households still buy Kraft Singles. "You can't get that in a natural cheese," Peter Cotter, general manager of cheese and dairy for Kraft Heinz, told Bloomberg. Kraft's grilled cheese giveaway today may help to remind parents of the classic sandwiches they grew up with, while introducing a new generation to the comfort food.