The Cheese Tax

I’ve noticed a lot of marketing has adopted heavier tones in response to society’s most important and critical topics of conversation: mental health, social/environmental responsibility, safety, and exploration using technology to do more “good” than harm (to name a few).

Given that, I’ve grown used to these messages and tactics that appeal to the human instinct to care deeply and help others; so, it was almost startling to bump into a new Kraft Cheese campaign that brought me so much light-hearted joy I had to share it!

To set the stage for those who don’t know, there is an online viral music video floating around social media of a song called The Cheese Tax. I recommend watching this short clip to wholly understand how silly it is; with a melody that gets stuck in your head and lyrics joking about how our pets expect a piece of every one of our meals: “You gotta pay the cheese tax/ Every time you’re cooking/ When the cheese comes out/ This puppy comes looking.”

It’s cute enough in isolation, but Kraft picked it up and ran a limited-time promotion on Instagram giving away free packs of Kraft Singles with 15 slices of cheese for you, and 1 extra slice for your pup. They call it “The Cheese Tax Pack” and I love it!

Kraft’s campaign got picked up by a few news outlets with People running an article along with Food & Wine, and in that respect, it accomplished its mission of creating buzz while also eliciting an emotional reaction of joy and happiness – a refreshing divergence from today’s super-charged climate.

As a lover of all things advertising, marketing, and media I would be so grateful to hear from readers about some of your favorite campaigns so far this year. Please leave a note on LinkedIn so we can check them out!

Lee Sumner – Research Director