In a classic print campaign for the Citibank AAdvantage credit card nearly 20 years ago, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners raised the question of what motivates men to buy presents for women—suggesting it might not all be about pure love but about mileage points instead.
In a similar vein, Wieden + Kennedy's new campaign for Velveeta, breaking today, introduces the notion of a "Liquid Gold Digger"—or a guy who's really only interested in your golden sauce, not you per se. He wants you to think it's all about you, though, even while he angles for the cheese.
In one new TV spot, a teenage boy turns up for a sleepover at his friend's house, knowing full well that his friend is away. He feigns enough disappointment that the mom invites him to stay for dinner. He demands Velveeta on a hot dog.
Another ad takes place at a potluck dinner, with a young man named Jay telling a white-haired woman how young she looks, even as he digs into her macaroni and Velveeta.
In a third ad, a woman breaks the news to her friend in a kitchen that her partner is really just after her Velveeta cheesy broccoli soup.
The tagline is, "Liquid gold diggers love liquid gold."
Previous W+K campaigns for the Kraft Foods brand looked to sell prepared meals such as Velveeta Cheesy Skillets and Velveeta Shells & Cheese. This effort sells the cheese itself, with a wink, a nod and even a Facebook quiz to determine if you're digger.
Traditional, blue-collar moms 25-54 are the primary target this time, according to Velveeta brand manager Richard Bode. Here's hoping they have a sense of humor about cheese.
CREDITS
Client: Velveeta
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, Ore.
Creative Directors: Karl Lieberman, Eric Baldwin
Copywriter: Michael Illick
Art Director: Rob Kendall
Producer: Monica Ranes
Agency Post Producer: Hayley Goggin
Account Team: Kara York, Jennifer Segerholt, Ken Smith
Executive Creative Directors: Mark Fitzloff, Susan Hoffman, Joe Staples
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Moxie
Director: Martin Granger
Executive Producers: Robert Fernandez, Roger Zorovich, Karol Zeno
Line Producer: Heidi Soltesz
Director of Photography: Eric Schmidt
EDITORIAL
Editorial Company: HutchCo
Editor: Jim Hutchins
Asst. Editor: Patrick O'Leary
Post Executive Producer: Jane Hutchins
VFX
VFX Company: A52
VFX Producer: Jamie McBriety
Flame Artist: Andres Barrios
MIX
Mix Company: Lime
Mixer: Dave Wagg
Mix Producer: Jessica Locke
Sound Design
Sound Design Company: Barking Owl
Sound Designer: Michael Anastasi
Executive Producer: Kelley Bayett
