Three powerful women–Irene Rosenfeld, Dana Anderson and Mary Beth West–are shaking things up at Kraft’s headquarters in suburban Chicago and the reverberations can be felt along North Michigan Avenue and beyond.
According to Ad Age, Kraft has, over the past 24 months, cut longstanding ties with Interpublic Group of Cos. and WPP shops on more than 20 iconic brands from Maxwell House to Mac & Cheese and Chips Ahoy to Cool Whip. In their place, Kraft is bringing onboard a new crop of agencies, most with which it’s never worked before.
The new group — which includes Crispin Porter & Bogusky, McGarryBowen, Being (a spinoff of TBWA/Chiat/Day), Droga5 and The Martin Agency — are all smaller than the sprawling global networks Kraft was using, and many are known for breakthrough, even risky approach to creative.
Packaged goods advertising has long been seen as the creative stepchild. Maybe that’s about to change. It’s certainly been changing in Cincinnati, thanks to huge creative hits like Old Spice’s “Man on a Horse.”
I randomly picked one of the brand’s in Kraft’s lineup to see just how bad, or good, the creative product is. Here’s an Oreo’s spot from September (I don’t know if it’s from the old agency or the new, but I’d guess old):
This spot, while touching, doesn’t make me want to buy Oreo’s or put them in my child’s lunchbox. Of course, I don’t have a child and I’m not the mom Oreo’s had in mind when they made this spot. Nevertheless, a spot can appeal to a core demographic like moms and still motivate others in the audience like kids, babysitters, weird uncles, etc.
