You’d think changing the recipe of one of America’s most familiar and beloved foods, not telling anyone when you did it, and then selling over 50 million boxes would cause a stir. But based on what Kraft Mac & Cheese just did, you’d be wrong.
Last April, Kraft Heinz announced it would remove artificial flavors, preservatives and dyes from its iconic Blue Box, and did exactly that in December. The new recipe’s taste, texture and appearance are so similar that virtually no one noticed.
“As we considered changing the ingredients of our classic Blue Box, we did so knowing we had to maintain our iconic look, taste and texture,” says Greg Guidotti, vice president of meals at Kraft Heinz. “We’d invite Americans to try our new recipe, but they most likely already have.”
“It’s changed. But it hasn’t.” is the message of a major integrated marketing campaign launching today from CP+B. The effort features former Daily Show and Late, Late Show host Craig Kilborn who brings his signature style to unveil the world’s largest “blind taste test.” The results are in: moms, kids and even dogs tried the new recipe without detecting a difference.