May 15, 2024  – Mike's Hot Honey, the nation’s leading brand of hot honey that is heating up the culinary world, announces the launch of a bold new ad campaign, "You'll Love It With Mike's.” The visually enticing ads celebrate the brand's flavor elevation and versatility in an eye-catching and innovative manner.

Reinforcing the wide usage of the brand, “You’ll Love It With Mike’s” is only the second campaign in the brand’s successful history and represents an evolution from the previous advertising centered around its storied pizza heritage. Both campaigns were developed in collaboration with New York-based Chase Design Group, which also has locations in Los Angeles and the United Kingdom.

Since its founding in 2010 by Mike Kurtz, Mike's Hot Honey has captivated taste buds with its unique blend of sweet honey and spicy chili peppers, now described with an entirely new word ‘swicy’. What began as a drizzle on a pepperoni pie in a Brooklyn pizzeria quickly grew into a word-of-mouth sensation, sparking a new product category and appearing on thousands of retail shelves and restaurant menus across the country. 

The "You'll Love It With Mike's" campaign represents a shift from the brand's original campaign "You Can't Have Pizza Without Mike's" that reinforced the brand’s heritage story, to one that highlights the diverse ways in which Mike's Hot Honey can enhance various culinary experiences. With 27 featured food pairings and 40 captivating copy lines, the new campaign showcases the brand's versatility while giving consumers permission to feed their imagination to create numerous food concoctions.

"It’s hard to believe how far we have come in recent years from our humble beginnings at Paulie Gee’s pizzeria in Brooklyn. This new campaign reflects how the brand has grown and evolved and is about celebrating the incredible flavor elevation and endless possibilities that come with adding Mike's Hot Honey to your favorite dishes," said Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike’s Hot Honey. 

“During our years working with the brand, we've often asked ourselves what can't their hot honey go on, so when their team challenged us to create a campaign illustrating just how delectable and versatile Mike's Hot Honey is, we were beyond excited,” said Margaret Russo, Group Creative Director of New Media at Chase Design Group. "Their challenge inspired us to construct a bold, iconic campaign, built to highlight endless, heroic food and honey pairings through strong design elements and a spirited tone of voice for a world that is totally ownable, and totally Mike's.”

One of the most significant aspects of "You'll Love It With Mike's" is the introduction of video content, featuring consumers enjoying the product in a variety of culinary settings. This marks the first time that the brand is incorporating real people into its paid advertising efforts, helping to further connect with them on a personal level.  The video content was conceived and produced by Zeke Martinez and directed by Ben Merker. 

“We have our loyal consumers to thank for fueling the Mike’s Hot Honey trend so we are pleased to be able to feature our fans experiencing and enjoying the product in our new campaign,” Kurtz said. "We're excited to unveil this new chapter for Mike's Hot Honey and share our passion for flavor exploration. We invite everyone to join us on a culinary journey filled with excitement, creativity, and, of course, a touch of heat."

The campaign will be launched across various digital platforms, including YouTube, Google PerformanceMax, Programmatic, Meta, and TikTok, reaching a wide audience of food enthusiasts and culinary adventurers. The rollout is scheduled for early May, just in time to spice up spring and summer entertaining and barbecue season. Additionally, it will be extended to retail with displays, retail advertisements, and other point-of-sale materials. It will also be reflected in the supporting signage provided to restaurant partners and in restaurant trade advertisements. 

Along with the ad campaign, a new website is also planned for Q4 as the brand looks ahead to commemorating its 15th anniversary in 2025. The new Mike’s Hot Honey site will provide an enhanced online experience for customers seeking inspiration and information about the brand's products.

For more information about Mike's Hot Honey, visit www.mikeshothoney.com.