La Dolce Velveeta
Velveeta was a "dusty" brand. While it had high awareness, it was seen as an old-school, processed pantry staple only used for occasional holiday dips. Sales were declining, and the brand was losing relevance with Millennial and Gen Z consumers who were shifting toward "clean eating" and artisanal foods.
The Strategy
The Insight:
In a world obsessed with "wellness," "restriction," and "performative health," there is a secret, rebellious joy in eating something unapologetically processed and incredibly delicious.
The Strategic Leap: Move from "Guilty Pleasure" to "Unapologetic Pleasure."
The Solution:
"La Dolce Velveeta" : Inspired by the Italian concept of La Dolce Vita, the strategy was to treat Velveeta not as food, but as a "high-fashion" lifestyle. If we treat a $5 block of cheese with the same decadence and swagger as a Gucci campaign, we create a "surround sound" of irony and desire that captures cultural attention.
The Comms Planning
The goal was simple: make La Dolce Velveeta impossible to ignore by building a channel architecture where every touchpoint was its own artifact of the lifestyle, from the highest brand expression down to cultural conversation and conversion assets.
Broadcast/Film: Briefed and shaped video across formats, from the long-form cinematic brand spots down to :06 performance units, making sure every length still felt like La Dolce Velveeta. Worked closely with media on targeting, flighting, and placement to make sure the right message hit at the right moment.
Cultural Stunts ("Act-vertising"): Collaborated with PR and media partners to show up in unexpected ways and spaces creating cultural artifacts that let people live inside the La Dolce Velveeta world:
Velveeta Gold Hair Dye: Turned the brand's signature color into a fashion moment—something you could literally wear
The Veltini: A cheese-infused martini that inserted Velveeta into cocktail culture conversation
Cheesy Chic (Print): High-fashion editorial spreads that blurred the line between a Vogue shoot and a snack ad
Cheese-Scented Nail Polish: Extended the lifestyle into beauty, making Velveeta something you could wear on your nails
The Results
Awarded a Silver Effie for driving sales growth while generating widespread earned media and cultural conversation, proving you can make processed cheese cool again if you lean into the audacity of it.
