Dive Brief:

• Kraft Heinz coffee brand Maxwell House has seen an increase in ad awareness and purchase consideration since launching a campaign over Labor Day weekend that celebrates hard work, a YouGov analysis found. The campaign featured a semi-truck driver from Ohio and included a contest offering American workers the chance to win a "paid day off" in the form of a $150 Visa gift card.
• On Sept. 1, 12% of consumers age 18 and over reported seeing a Maxwell House ad over the past two weeks. That number has increased to 18% currently, which is a new 2018 high. Also on Sept. 1, 17% of U.S. adults said they would consider buying Maxwell House when they were next in the market for a beverage, and that number increased to 22% about a week ago.
• After the Labor Day contest, Maxwell House released another spot that showcases the "real hands of hardworking Americans," per the YouTube video description. YouGov's analysis also revealed that 61% of current and former Maxwell customers think that success in America depends on hard work rather than good fortune, compared to 57% of all U.S. adults.

Dive Insight:

The analysis shows that Maxwell House focusing its marketing messaging on hard work and featuring the American worker are paying off. The campaign seems to be resonating, which could help Maxwell House stand out in a competitive coffee market and strengthen its position with older, working-class consumers like the ones featured in the campaign.

Maxwell House is the latest brand to focus on the themes of hard work, work-life balance and the American Dream. Other consumer packaged goods brands, including Del Monte and Land O’Lakes have recent campaigns highlighting their connection to the farmers that produce their products. Welch's unveiled a new campaign "Tough as Grapes" that targets Gen X men and tells the story of how the brand's grape juice is made.

Similar to Maxwell House's day-off contest, vodka brand Smirnoff held a social media contest around the Fourth of July, which fell on a Wednesday this year, asking people to share how they would celebrate the holiday if they had an extended weekend. The brand paid for 100 people to take off on July 5 and 6.

Coffee drinking is on the rise, especially among millennials, which means Maxwell House and other coffee brands are vying to grab more market share. Sixty-four percent of American adults saying they had a cup of coffee the previous day in 2018, according to a survey commissioned by the National Coffee Association cited by Reuters. At-home coffee preparation dominates coffee consumption, with 79% saying they had a cup of coffee at home the previous day.

Last year, Maxwell House released a new line of coffee called Max Boost that comes in three different caffeine levels to allow consumers to customize their coffee experience at home. The brand also launched a flavored coffee line called Max Indulge in Mocha, Mocha & Salted Caramel and Mocha & S’mores flavors. The new lines are targeted at millennials, who are big coffee drinkers but also appreciate unique flavors and the ability to customize their beverages.